Robyn Francis shares the story of transforming a 5-acre degraded compacted cow-pasture into a permaculture paradise of international renown. Since opening in 1994, Djanbung Gardens has attracted thousands of students and visitors from all over world.
Purpose designed as a permaculture education centre and living learn-scape, the gardens demonstrate diverse ways permaculture can be applied to practical living, working and production systems. Djanbung Gardens is the home campus of Permaculture College Australia, and home of Robyn Francis, family and community of residential interns.
Visit us: The gardens are open Wed-Sun 10am-4pm. (NB we are closed Dec 22-Jan2)
Delicious fresh garden & local food at Abundance Cafe
Take a Tour: Self-guided tour with interpretive map during open hours by donation. Guided tours by appointment. Special Group tours by arrangement
Abundance Cafe: the ultimate local food experience. Abundance cafe caters for all our courses and opens for community and special events. The Cafe and Djanbung Gardens venue is available for booking private functions, dinner parties, seminars, workshops and weddings. Qualified chef, Melian Fertl, specialises in local food and 90% of ingredients are source from within 35km of Nimbin. Special diets can be catered for with prior notice including gluten free and vegan. Delicious nutritious food for vegetarians and ethical meat eaters.
Products for Sale: check out our Garden Charts, permaculture books and homemade conserves.
Djanbung (pronounced with a hard ‘j’ and silent ‘d’) means platypus in the local Wiyabul dialect – the name was given by senior Bundjalung elder and lore keeper, Uncle Eric Walker. Discover more about the indigenous significance of the Djanbung.
Go on a video tour of the gardens.
Read more…
Djanbung Gardens Overview and History
Djanbung Gardens – from cowpasture to permaculture paradise
Bamboo in Permaculture with Robyn Francis
I love Bamboo; growing, eating, crafting, building, and listening to the sounds of creaking culms and rustling leaves in the wind. It provides me with microclimates, windbreaks, privacy screens, animal fodder, wildlife habitat, an endless supply of mulch, delicious...
Wildlife – Freeranging at Djanbung
Wildlife is welcome here but not cats or dogs…. It was twenty years ago that I made the momentous decision to take on a 5 acre degraded cow pasture and restore it to biodiversity and abundance as a permaculture education centre and wildlife sanctuary. I remember...
Piggies at Work
Photo journal of a pig tractor garden Pigs are amazing biological ploughs – their snout is exceptionally strong and designed for excavating the earth in search of tasty morsels buried underground, especially tubers and roots, and also fungi and insects. In...
Edible Landscapes & Gardens
Djanbung Gardens is a botanic gardens of useful, economic and cultural plants within a working permaculture system. Gardens & orchards are maintained organically as an integrated system. The vegetable gardens employ low and no-till techniques, companion planting,...
Buildings & Technology
Djanbung Gardens buildings are designed according to passive solar principles to be energy efficient and reduce use of resources. Likewise, a diverse range of technologies have been selected to reduce energy and resource consumption. Djanbung is self-reliant for its...
Djanbung Gardens Overview & History
Read about how the home of Permaculture College Australia was founded and developed. Djanbung Gardens: Vital Statistics and History VITAL STATISTICS Size: 2.16 Ha (5.4 acres) Soil: Loamy clay top soil 20-30cm over heavy reactive plastic clay Previous landuse:...
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Djanbung Gardens
Djanbung (pronounced with a hard ‘j’ and silent ‘d’) means platypus in the local Wiyabul dialect – the name was given by senior Bundjalung elder and lore keeper, Uncle Eric Walker.
Discover more about the indigenous significance of the Djanbung.
