Massive change at Marcus Oldham

The longstanding principal of one of Australia’s leading agricultural colleges has announced a huge change.

Principal of Marcus Oldham College, Dr Simon Livingstone, has announced his retirement. He will step down from his position at the end of the 2021 academic year. Picture: Glenn Ferguson

AFTER 19 years at the helm of agribusiness college Marcus Oldham, principal Dr Simon Livingstone will retire at the end of this year.

In an announcement made to the college’s board, Dr Livingstone confirmed he will complete his tenure in December and support the council through the recruitment and transition process.

“I think that length of time, 19 years, is a fair stint. And I want to leave the college in good shape. This is the strongest enrolment the college has ever had. We’ve got plans for the future; staff are stable; the college is in good financial condition and I’ve always wanted to leave when things are going well,” Dr Livingstone said.

An alumni of the college himself, Dr Livingstone grew up in Brisbane, the son of a doctor and a social worker.

He found his passion for agriculture when visiting cattle properties run by his mother’s relatives in New Guinea.

He worked as a cattle station jackaroo and overseer in Queensland and the Northern Territory for eight years before heading south to Victoria to attend Marcus Oldham.

“I was told the best agriculture college in Australia was Marcus Oldham. That was back in the late ’70s,” he said.

“Then I came to Marcus, and it was just fantastic. I loved the experience. Loved the people.

Marcus Oldham principal Simon Livingstone in 2012, pictured with students Rosie McClymont and Stuart Tait on Murradoc Farm near Geelong, which was gifted to the college by Philip Myer. Picture: Aaron Francis

“The lecturers were fantastic. As a child, I never liked school much. For me it was about the engagement and the experience. And Marcus did all of that.”

After graduating in 1987, he spent five years as a lecturer at Emerald Agricultural College in Queensland, before returning to Geelong to take a teaching position at Marcus Oldham, stepping into the principal role five years later.

Dr Livingstone has overseen the development of the college’s accelerated degree program, which gives students the chance to complete a Bachelor of Agriculture or Bachelor of Agribusiness degree in three years. He also added a successful postgraduate program to the offering, oversaw construction of the new Douglas Boyd Learning Centre and spearheaded the current project to expand residential accommodation to house more students.

College Council chairman Bruce Wilson said his contributions would be remembered for years to come.

“The work Simon has done to get us to become a regularly degree-conferring institution has been enormous,” said Mr Wilson, who has chaired the board for the past 12 years.

“In the breadth of Simon’s occupancy of the position, we have improved our facilities markedly. To be able to do that, we have increased our number of students and staff capacity.”

Mr Wilson said the recruitment process would start as early as the end of this week, with the position offering a huge opportunity for the right candidate.

“It’s two positions in fact,” Mr Wilson said. “One is a CEO of a business, the other is an educator. We have to roll that together and find suitable applicants. And put that together with a passion for agriculture.

“We are an educational institution, but all our alumni and backers have agricultural backgrounds. The field is probably not huge, but no doubt it is a great challenge for someone to take on. And it is terrific for someone to be able to hand on the college in very good order.”

After more than two decades of involvement in the college, Dr Livingstone said he still intended to be active in agriculture education.

“I genuinely believe Marcus Oldham to be a very special place,” he says. “To be principal for that length of time, you need to have full commitment. I plan to be involved still in agriculture, and ag education, and that might be in some consultancy capacity. I’ll still stay connected to the college.”

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