“When living abroad in Australia the last three months through to this April I began to notice and compare everyday aspects of my life to those at home in America.“ Kiersten Engstrom’s story.
Australia's Sustainable House Day
30 years off grid in the city
In 1996, three decades ago this year, I disconnected my city house from town water, town sewer, town stormwater and installed solar panels.
Perhaps the first in a city. But being ‘first’ had nothing to do with it, except that made it harder to get approvals, get my sketches turned into drawings (designers, architects, engineers wanted nothing to do with it). I did it for two reasons; one, in a child-like way because everyone said, “You can’t do that”, so I appreciate the spur to action they gave me. And, because I was tired of my inner voice saying you’re polluting the ocean, harbour and air and knew that only by taking action could I free myself from that lack of integrity in myself.
How to keep rain where it falls?
National Sustainable House Day 2026
Anyone with a partly or fully sustainable house may list it for public tours on National Sustainable House Day.
On Sunday 17 May 2026 houses across Australia will open for public tours.
Tours of my house, Sydney’s Sustainable House, will also be available at 10 am and 11 am on Sunday 17 May.
When Life Gives You Lemons
The streets we call home
“Streets, we live on them, we walk on them, but how do they help us understand a city? They’re often seen as just a path, but streets tell us so much more than that.“
Kiersten Engstrom, intern with Sustainable House, compares the streets of Chippendale, Sydney, Australia where she is interning with the streets of her home town University and city, Pittsburgh, US.
Emergency Water for Wildlife
“Heatwaves and drought are threatening the survival of wildlife at Broken Hill's Imperial Lakes Nature Park. Water is disappearing fast as summer temperatures soar. Very soon, the lakes will be dry, and animals that depend on this critical water will perish. The purchase of water is desperately needed now to save the wildlife.“
Simon Molesworth, Broken Hill Landcare
Food waste transport pollutes big time
Cucumber farming in the street
Inspirational Sydney City Council Gardening Policy
“All of this has been possible because of Sydney City Council’s gardening policy, which allows residents to garden on the footpath without going through a long approval process. It’s a practical policy that gives people, like us, the freedom to improve their streets and use small public spaces for growing sustainable food and plants.“
"It's working"
Unanimous Councillor support for Chippendale Sustainable Precinct Plan
Taiwan city mayor Andy Chiu and delegation visit Chippendale footpath gardens
Rescuing possums in Australian towns and cities
More, more, more
Sydney City Council spends $1.018 B on civil works a year
New replacement rain gardens fail in first rain
Straw house
“Outback Australia can sometimes be a difficult place to call home – it’s far from city services, it’s scorching hot in summer months, and can wear down spirits when droughts take hold. It is also a challenging place to create a home when tradies are few and far between and suppliers don’t ship that far inland.“ Anika Molesworth
