Australian Rural Leadership Foundation

Australian Rural Leadership Foundation Empowering leadership for thriving rural, regional and remote communities. Our mission:
To foster and exercise leadership for positive impact.

We work with our influential alumni network, Associates, mission-aligned organisations and funding partners to deliver leadership programs and initiatives that foster and strengthen the leadership capability required to address issues and opportunities facing rural, regional and remote Australia. Our programs facilitate powerful networks that endure beyond our programs, enabling leaders to amplify

their leadership impact in their organisations, sectors, industries and communities. Our vision:
Thriving rural, regional and remote communities strengthening Australia and our regional neighbours. Our approach:
Through experiential learning we provide the opportunity for people to understand themselves and others as a framework to adapt and work together. Our values:
To support our vision and purpose and for human wellbeing and a sustainable shared environment we:
» Respect and engage with First Nations cultural knowledge systems
» Embrace a diversity of views, perceptions, backgrounds and cultures
» Challenge entrenched ideas
» Foster collaboration and act beyond self
» Pursue lifelong learning

Applications for Cohort 2 of the Murray-Darling Basin Leadership Program (MDBLP) are open now, and we are looking for pe...
24/06/2026

Applications for Cohort 2 of the Murray-Darling Basin Leadership Program (MDBLP) are open now, and we are looking for people from all corners of the Basin to join us.

This is not your average leadership program. It is a 10-month experience built around real challenges, diverse perspectives and the kind of connections that stick around long after the program ends. You do not need to have all the answers. You just need to be ready to work alongside others who care as deeply as you do.

The program is fully funded by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, with travel support included. Applications close 2 August.

Head to the link: https://hubs.la/Q04mq7b80 to find out more and get your application in.

Murray-Darling Basin Authority

Our alumni network has more than 3,000 people in it. But the thing that keeps it alive is not the size.It is the fact th...
22/06/2026

Our alumni network has more than 3,000 people in it. But the thing that keeps it alive is not the size.
It is the fact that people genuinely show up for each other. A phone call during a drought.

A connection to a new opportunity. Knowing there is someone who gets it.

They are now working in agriculture, health, education, politics, business, and community leadership right across the country. That network does not just exist at graduation. It grows. It connects. It shows up when it matters most.

Is someone you know part of it? https://hubs.la/Q04m5k2s0

Tell us where you are in rural, regional and remote Australia in three words.We love seeing the places our community cal...
22/06/2026

Tell us where you are in rural, regional and remote Australia in three words.
We love seeing the places our community calls home.

Drop yours in the comments.

We say this a lot inside our programs. And our alumni carry it with them long after graduation.In a world that rewards h...
22/06/2026

We say this a lot inside our programs. And our alumni carry it with them long after graduation.
In a world that rewards having the answers, choosing to stay curious takes real courage. That is exactly the kind of courage we try to build.

What question is driving your leadership right now?

19/06/2026

Course 33 of the Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP) has officially begun.

This past week, participants gathered for Session 1 and stepped into something that asks a lot of people from the very start. Moving beyond what feels familiar. Working through complex challenges as a group. Getting curious about how they show up with others.

It is not always comfortable, and that is exactly the point.

The issues shaping rural, regional and remote Australia are rarely straightforward. Building the kind of leadership that makes a difference in those spaces takes time, courage and a willingness to sit with complexity. Session 1 is where that process begins.

We are proud to welcome Course 33 into the ARLP community and we look forward to seeing what this cohort brings to the journey ahead.

There is a particular kind of stillness that comes with winter in rural Australia.The frost that shows up. The work that...
17/06/2026

There is a particular kind of stillness that comes with winter in rural Australia.

The frost that shows up. The work that keeps going regardless.

We are thinking of all the people out there right now, doing what needs to be done. Leading quietly. Leading well.

Where in Australia are you this winter?

The Torres Strait Young Leaders Program brought together young people from across the Torres Strait, Seisia and Bamaga i...
17/06/2026

The Torres Strait Young Leaders Program brought together young people from across the Torres Strait, Seisia and Bamaga in Bundaberg, Queensland to build confidence, strengthen connection and explore what leadership looks like for them.

There was laughter, song, energy and courage as participants stepped into new experiences, shared stories, took on challenges and built something real with one another.

This program creates space for young people who care deeply about their communities to grow their voice and consider the role they can play in shaping the future of the Torres Strait.
A huge thank you to the participants for the spirit, care and generosity they brought to the experience.

Funded by the Torres Strait Regional Authority and delivered by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF).

📸 Ainslie.Co Photography

15/06/2026

“If you’re in a position of authority, it’s on you to provide order and direction” 
 
In this episode of the Rural Leaders podcast, Dr Ananth Gopal (Founder of Polykala) joins Oli to talk about clarity, responsibility, and the role we all play in leadership. 
 
If you’re leading, people are looking to you for direction. 
 
If you’re not, but things feel unclear, ask for it. 
 
Because clarity isn’t nice to have. 
It’s part of the social contract. 
 
If you’ve been waiting for direction or hesitating to give it, maybe this is your sign to step forward. 
 
Find this episode under ‘Rural Leaders’ on your favourite podcast platform.

There is something that happens when you bring people from different parts of rural, regional and remote Australia into ...
15/06/2026

There is something that happens when you bring people from different parts of rural, regional and remote Australia into the same space.

Stories get shared. Ideas spark. Something shifts.

We have watched it happen over 30 years and across thousands of individuals. The people we work with are proof that leadership is not a title. It is something you choose.

Where in rural Australia are you leading right now?

What does it look like when one act of generosity keeps growing?Today, the 33rd Australian Rural Leadership Program begi...
11/06/2026

What does it look like when one act of generosity keeps growing?

Today, the 33rd Australian Rural Leadership Program begins in Sydney, and for the first time in over a decade, three participants are from the Northern Territory: Stuart McGifford, Claire Maradani and Chrischona Schmidt.

All three are on scholarships. All three are connected through an incredible thread of people choosing to pay it forward.

It started when Donna Digby, an Alice Springs local, received a scholarship funded by the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation to do the ARLP back in 2020. Inspired by what the program gave her, Donna started the Leadership on Larapinta Fundraising Walk to raise scholarships for other NT leaders.

Since then, 525 donors have got behind the Walks. Today, two of those scholarships belong to Claire and Chrischona. Stuart’s scholarship comes from the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation, the same foundation that made it possible for Donna all those years ago.

And this July? Stuart and Claire will lace up their boots and together with Donna walk the Larapinta Trail themselves, fundraising for the next person who needs a hand up.

Generosity is contagious. Congratulations to all three. Your story already inspires us.

Donate to the current campign here 👉 https://hubs.la/Q04k--Xs0

Address

14 Wormald Street
Canberra, ACT
2609

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+61262810680

Website

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