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The college continues to be busy during the term break of academic years. Many organisations have seen the benefit of locating their own events to the Marcus Oldham campus now conveniently located at the western end of the Geelong Ring Road. This road allows drivers to avoid 26 sets of traffic lights in Geelong and reduces travel time to the eastern suburbs of Melbourne to one hour.
2009
The renovation of the College dining room has been completed. The dining room can now cater for up to 200 diners or conference delegates. The building now includes a reception foyer area, defined entry to the dining room from the adjacent car park, interior renovation and external areas for socialising. Current technologies will be provided to enhance presentations by college and guest presenters. The renovations take advantage of the views to the south of the dining room. These views extend over Geelong to Bass Strait.
Rowing camps were again popular in January and Animal Chiropractors will also be returning. This course is conducted by RMIT and offers the Graduate Diploma in Animal Chiropractic. From January 5 to 17, Baseball Victoria hosted the National under 16 baseball Titles. Two teams, Victoria and Victoria Provincial resided at the College and games were played at the Baseball Diamonds in Warn Ponds located close to the College. Victoria won the title event and Victoria Provincial were placed fourth.
From 26 September to 3 October the Australian Native Plants Society will hold their annual conference in Geelong. 100 delegates will be accommodated at Marcus Oldham travelling to Deakin Universities Costa Hall for plenary sessions. The theme of the Conference is "Australian Plants in the 21st Century." The challenges we face today through climate change and drought in growing and conserving our unique Australian flora requires us to explore new ways in growing native plants and conserving water. The three days of lectures will revolve around the themes of" Looking Around ", "Looking Forward ", and "Local Issues ". Three one day tours are planned. One will cover the Brisbane Ranges, gardens and nurseries around Geelong and the other two will take delegates further afield to the Otway Ranges and Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne.
Also in September will be the annual visit by AgriVenture, the International Agricultural Exchange Association. Farm trainees arrive to experience both work and life in rural Australia for periods up to one year. The programmes are designed to suit individual experience and ambition, covering a wide range of programme opportunities. Trainees decide on the length of their AgriVenture programme, depending on their country and programme selection. Wherever you go in the world, with AgriVenture you won’t be alone. From your application to arriving back home, the organisation takes care of all of the details needed for the trainee, so you don’t have to – tickets, work permits and insurance etc. Without exception, all AgriVenture placements are made within a professional business. Placements are available for almost all kinds of agricultural and horticultural. Agriculture covers all elements of livestock and cropping enterprises. Horticulture offers a range of other options such as flower production and vegetable enterprises.
2010
2010 kicks off with a bang! The College will host Girl Guides Victoria’s Australian Centenary Event (ACE) Camp. Over 2,000 guides from around world will camp on the Marcus Oldham farm for a week in January. The farm paddocks will be converted to a tent city for the duration of the camp and, being conveniently located on the western edge of Geelong. Guides will have the opportunity to travel to the many attractions and activities in the Geelong – Otway Region. bicyclevictoria will provide catering for the event and utilise the College equine facilities, including indoor and outdoor riding arenas to cook up a storm.
Brighton and Melbourne Grammars will again return for their annual rowing camps in January and crews will be put under pressure by their dedicated coaches to perform to their optimum leading up to the Head of the River, 20-21 March at Nagambie.
Also in January the Australian Veterinary Association will conduct their course for the Graduate Diploma in Animal Acupuncture at the College. Students from around Australia and Asia will attend for a week to study and undertake practical experience of acupuncture for horses and dogs. The course continues in June and September. The final exam for this award is conducted by the American Veterinary Association with students around the world sitting for the exam on the same day.
July sees the return of the National Coaching Clinic held by Riding for the Disabled Association of Australia (RDAA). Riding for the Disabled Association of Australia is a voluntary, non-profit organisation which provides opportunities for anyone with a disability to enjoy safe, healthy, stimulating, therapeutic, horse-related activities in Australia. Around 100 delegates will attend the clinics to increase their knowledge of coaching in this specialist area.
2010 UCI Road Cycling World Championships will be held from 29 September to 3 October in Melbourne and Geelong. Tour de France stars and Olympic champions are bound for Geelong. The world championships are contested by national teams the same as the Olympics. Australia’s best cyclists, people like Robbie McEwen, Stuart O’Grady and Michael Rogers, will don the green and gold and compete as a team against the best from Europe, Asia and North America. Geelong won the right to host the championships in part because of its challenging circuit that takes in the hills south of the Barwon River as well as our beautiful waterfront and downtown area.
The College accommodation may be utilised by the organisers of this event for bike-mad spectators (up to 250,000 of them!) who follow this annual event, second only to the Tour de France in importance in the world of cycling.
The rural setting of the college with the convenience of Victoria's second largest city on our doorstep makes Marcus Oldham College the ideal setting for training camps, seminars and conferences of all types. | 
