AgriFutures Australia is committed to supporting the people who are driving, and will drive, the future prosperity of Australian rural industries and communities. We do this by investing in leadership, capacity and skills development programs for our stakeholders.
The Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program is an intensive five-day workshop conducted on their Geelong College campus. The program, which commenced in 1992, is recognised as one of the longest running rural leadership programs in the nation. AgriFutures is offering stakeholders the opportunity to participate in the Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program with all course fees covered.
Designed for: Agribusiness professionals. Course commencement date: TBC Duration: Five full days Location: Delivered face-to-face in Geelong, VIC
The Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program (MORLP), supported by NAB Agribusiness, is an intensive five-day workshop which has developed a strong reputation in the agricultural and agribusiness sector, attracting support from a wide range of industry and rural community groups from diverse regional backgrounds.
The industries represented include livestock grazing for meat and fibre, broad acre summer and winter cropping, dairy production, poppy production, cotton production, horticulture, apiary and a range of agribusiness support businesses.
With an average of approximately 35 participants per course, there are in excess of 900 graduates from the program across Australia. A number of these graduates are now representing their industries or rural communities at the decision-making level in the boardrooms of both community and industry groups.
The program will develop the skills and knowledge of participants to enable them to:
undertake a leadership role in their industry or community
competently represent their industry or community in decision-making forums
understand and address the issues facing rural industries and rural communities.
To be eligible for an AgriFutures-supported position, you must be one of the following:
An engaged member of — and intending to remain involved in — one of the following Australian industries:
Chicken meat
Export fodder
Thoroughbred horses
Honey bee & pollination
Rice
Pasture seeds
Ginger
Tea tree oil
Kangaroo
Buffalo
Goat fibre
Deer
An engaged member of — and intending to remain involved in —an emerging Australian agricultural industry (e.g. coffee, hazelnut, industrial hemp, insects, crocodile, seaweed/algae, sesame, truffle, or other up-and-coming rural industries).
Essential Requirements
Two industry participants will be sponsored by AgriFutures Australia to attend the program (valued at ~$4,200 per position). The position is not transferable. Participants are required to complete the course assessment and provide evidence of completion to AgriFutures.
You’ll need to be able to commit to a minimum of one out of the two weeks that the program is running (usually in May and September each year, exact dates TBC) and interstate travel to attend. These dates are not flexible (successful applicants will be contacted to discuss which iteration of the program will suit best).
Application Information
Before you apply
The course fees are fully sponsored by AgriFutures Australia. Eligible AgriFutures stakeholders (outlined above) are encouraged to apply with applications to be assessed and selected by AgriFutures Capacity Building staff. Applicants are required to respond to a number of selection criteria and provide evidence of their engagement in their specified category.
How to apply
Applications for 2026 are currently closed. Applications for 2027 will open in mid-2026.
Contact
Enquiries about AgriFutures-supported positions
For questions about eligibility, funding support, or the AgriFutures application process, please contact:
Sarah Hope
Manager, Capacity Building
Emily Jones
Coordinator, Capacity Building
Information about MORLP
For program details, structure, and delivery of the program, visit Marcus Oldham’s website:
