Holmgren was born in the state of Western Australia to political parents who were very active in the movement against Australia's involvement in the Vietnam war. Political activism against injustice provided a background to his own life's work with Permaculture as positiveenvironmental activism. (ref Permaculture pioneers) After graduating from John Curtin High School (Academic dux 1972) he spent a year hitch hiking around Australia which exposed him to the first wave of "Back To The Land" rural resettlement. In 1974 he moved to Tasmania to study Environmental Design, at the innovative school set up by Hobart architect Barry McNeil at the College of Advanced Education in Hobart. Towards the end his first year of studies he met Mollison, who was then a senior tutor (in the psychology facult