2026 Violet Vines Marshman Oration | Speaking Up for Place: Shaping the Future of Rural Health

We invite you to join us in conversation at the Violet Vines Marshman Annual Oration with keynote speaker, Dr Louise Manning, President of the Rural Doctors’ Association of Victoria.

Join us from 5.30pm for pre-event drinks and canapés before the Oration commences at 6.30pm. If work or travel commitments prevent you from attending the networking portion of the evening, you are welcome to register for and attend the Oration only. Please select the attendance option that best matches your plans when registering.

Speaking Up for Place: Shaping the Future of Rural Health

The 2026 Violet Vines Marshman Oration will be delivered by Dr Louise Manning.

Dr Louise Manning is a rural GP Obstetrician practising in Central Victoria where she delivers general practice, hospital inpatient and urgent care, procedural obstetric and sexual health services. Growing up in a small town she has lived experience of the difficulties accessing healthcare in rural and regional areas and is dedicated to advocating for equitable health outcomes regardless of geography. In addition to her clinical duties, she undertakes consulting, medical education and advocacy work. She is the current President of the Rural Doctors' Association of Victoria and a non-executive board director of Rural Workforce Agency Victoria. 

The Oration will focus on advocacy as the central theme of the presentation. Dr Manning will speak to the need to have a united multidisciplinary voice if we are to solve rural health workforce issues and improve the health outcomes of rural communities. She will also mention the importance and power of community-led advocacy and grassroots movements, and how we need to empower individual rural communities to lead. Dr Manning is very much of the opinion that communities need to help design their health workforce solutions.

About the Violet Vines Marshman Centre for Rural Health Research

The Violet Vines Marshman Centre (VVMC) for Rural Health Research was established in 2019 with the generous bequest from the VV Marshman Charitable Trust and La Trobe University. 

We are dedicated to transforming rural health outcomes through research, collaboration and community engagement. We put the needs of rural communities at the forefront of our work. Based in the La Trobe Rural Health School, we define rural as being outside of a major Australian metropolitan city and are proud to work with communities and partners throughout the country and globally.

Visit our website to learn more about the Centre.

Acknowledgement

Our work takes place on the unceded lands of First Nations traditional owners across Australia. We acknowledge their Elders and their Ancestors, and we thank them for their ongoing care of the land, skies, and waterways of this country. We also acknowledge First Nations, Indigenous and African communities, their land and their Ancestors.

The VVMC endeavours to honour, respect and position First Nations voices, knowledges, languages and culture through our research, teaching and service and is committed to ‘marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri – the Victorian Aboriginal Health, Medical and Wellbeing Research Accord.’

Limited parking is available on campus in Gate 8, Car Park 4 with additional street parking available on Sharon Street. Guests are encouraged to allow additional time for parking prior to the event.