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Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program

 

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.

 

Applications for 2027 will open in mid-2026.

About the Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program

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.

Find out more about MORLP

Current AgriFutures-Sponsored Recipients

A person with short curly hair and a beard, wearing a white and blue striped button-up shirt, stands smiling with arms crossed in a sunlit forest with trees and green grass in the background.

Lachlan Cooper

2026 AgriFutures-sponsored Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program recipient

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A woman with straight, shoulder-length auburn hair smiles at the camera. She wears a black blazer, a light blue top, and a heart-shaped necklace, standing in front of green, leafy trees.

Courtney Nelson

2026 AgriFutures-sponsored Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program recipient

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A smiling person wearing a blue collared shirt and a Riverine Plains jacket stands outdoors in front of leafy green trees.

Matthew de Roos

2026 AgriFutures-sponsored Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program recipient

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A person with short curly hair and a beard, wearing a white and blue striped button-up shirt, stands smiling with arms crossed in a sunlit forest with trees and green grass in the background.

Lachlan Cooper

2026 AgriFutures-sponsored Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program recipient

Beekeeper and beef cattle producer

Lachlan Cooper is a beekeeper with Raw Honey and a beef cattle producer, driven by a strong connection to the land and sustainable farming. Through his beekeeping enterprise, Lachlan focuses on maintaining healthy bee populations and supporting ecosystem health. Alongside his wife, he manages a beef operation using responsible grazing practices, balancing productivity with long-term land stewardship. Lachlan is an AgriFutures-sponsored recipient due to his ongoing engagement with the Honey Bee & Pollination industry.

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A woman with straight, shoulder-length auburn hair smiles at the camera. She wears a black blazer, a light blue top, and a heart-shaped necklace, standing in front of green, leafy trees.

Courtney Nelson

2026 AgriFutures-sponsored Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program recipient

Project Manager, Meat & Livestock Australia

Courtney Nelson’s passion for agriculture began with her high school Angora goat stud. She holds a Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Bioscience (Hons I) from the University of Sydney and a Master of Science Communication from ANU. Courtney works as a Project Manager at Meat & Livestock Australia, focusing on environmental sustainability, and is an active advocate for youth involvement in agriculture. Courtney is an AgriFutures-sponsored recipient due to her ongoing engagement with the Goat Fibre Industry.

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A smiling person wearing a blue collared shirt and a Riverine Plains jacket stands outdoors in front of leafy green trees.

Matthew de Roos

2026 AgriFutures-sponsored Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program recipient

Field Trial Manager, Riverine Plains

Matthew de Roos is the Field Trial Manager at Riverine Plains, overseeing on-farm trials across south east NSW and north east Victoria. Working closely with farmers and stakeholders, Matt helps deliver locally relevant data and adaptive trial programs across our pasture seeds industry. He is passionate about testing innovative technologies and supporting more efficient, productive and sustainable farming systems aligned with farm business needs. Matthew is an AgriFutures-sponsored recipient due to his ongoing engagement with the Pasture Seeds industry.

Eligibility and Essential Requirements

Eligibility

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:

Click here for more information about the Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program