Description
The story of ‘Our Street’
David Holmgren uses storytelling to communicate empowering action in difficult times. This complements his dual focus on permaculture theory and practice. David’s ‘Aussie Street’ story – a permaculture soap opera from 1950 to the Second Great Depression of the 2020 – evolved from his earlier presentations (2005-2017) to the more in-depth text in RetroSuburbia: the Downshifter’s Guide to a Resilient Future (2018). This story was the inspiration for the further collaboration with RetroSuburbia editor Beck Lowe and illustrator Brenna Quinlan into literature for children.
Beck has interpreted David’s adult story through the eyes of the kids living in Aussie Street. In the process she captures the straightforward style of childhood diaries: telling the ups and downs of daily life. Brenna faithfully represents the feel and detail of each decade to help today’s kids imagine the childhood of their parents and grandparents, as they grapple with the creative and exciting options for an abundant future where they live.
Product details
Published: November 2020
Melliodora Publishing
48 pages, full colour illustrations by Brenna Quinlan throughout, 210mm x 297mm.
Printed in Australia
ISBN: 9780648845980
About the Authors
Beck Lowe is a permaculture educator and writer. She undertook a life-changing Permaculture Design Course in 1994 and has been practicing permaculture ever since. She worked closely with David Holmgren on RetroSuburbia as project manager, researcher and chief text wrangler, and reinterpreted his ‘Aussie Street’ story for kids in Our Street. She has also been editor and/or project manager on various new and re-releases at Melliodora Publishing.
Beck is the black sheep of the retrosuburbia family, living on her 60 acre permaculture farm near Heathcote in central Victoria. Besides work with Holmgren Design and Melliodora Publishing, and running her farm, she teaches permaculture, and is finishing her book on animals in permaculture. becklowe.com.au
About the Artist
Brenna spent four years living at Melliodora, the permaculture demonstration site founded by David Holmgren and Su Dennett in Central Victoria. She is currently building a strawbale house and planting her own garden at a permaculture community in the Great Southern, WA.
Brenna has worked as an illustrator for several organisations including the Bob Brown Foundation, the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, and the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program. She is also part of the Grow Do It permaculture teaching team, and regularly collaborates with Milkwood Permaculture and Melliodora Publishing on various projects and publications.
Support Brenna on Patreon and gain access to digital downloads of her work, as well as behind the scenes footage.
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