View source for Mount Alexander Shire

{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type     = lga
| name     = Shire of Mount Alexander
| state    = vic
| image    = Australia Victoria Mount Alexander Shire.svg
| caption  = Location in Victoria
| pop      = 20253
| pop_year = 2021
| pop_footnotes = <ref>{{Census 2021 AUS|id=LGA25430 |name=Mount Alexander (Local Government Area)|access-date=8 May 2023}}</ref>
| area     = 1530
| area_footnotes = <ref name=ABSLGA>{{cite web|title=3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018 |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3218.02017-18|website=Australian Bureau of Statistics|publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]]|date=27 March 2019|accessdate=25 October 2019}} Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.</ref>
| est      = 1995
| gazetted = 19 January 1995<ref name=Gazette>{{cite web |url=http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/view.cgi?year=1995&class=S&page_num=4&state=V&classNum=S2 |title=S2&nbsp;of&nbsp;1995: Order estg (Part 10) the Shire of Mount Alexander |author=Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive |year=1837–1997 |website=State Library of Victoria |publisher=State Government of Victoria |publication-date=19 January 1995 |page=4 |accessdate=10 January 2014}}</ref>
| mayor    = Rosie Annear
| seat     = [[Castlemaine, Victoria|Castlemaine]]
| region   = [[Loddon Mallee]]
| logo     = mtalexcouncil.GIF
| logo_upright   = 1.2
| url      = http://www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/
| stategov = [[Electoral district of Bendigo West|Bendigo West]]
|stategov2=[[Electoral district of Macedon|Macedon]]| fedgov   = [[Division of Bendigo|Bendigo]]
| near-nw  = [[Shire of Loddon|Loddon]]
| near-n   = [[City of Greater Bendigo|Greater Bendigo]]
| near-ne  = [[City of Greater Bendigo|Greater Bendigo]]
| near-w   = [[Shire of Central Goldfields|Central Goldfields]]
| near-e   = [[Shire of Mitchell|Mitchell]]
| near-sw  = [[Shire of Hepburn|Hepburn]]
| near-s   = [[Shire of Hepburn|Hepburn]]
| near-se  = [[Shire of Macedon Ranges|Macedon Ranges]]
}}

The '''Mount Alexander Shire''' (officially '''Shire of Mount Alexander''') is a [[Local government areas of Victoria|local government area]] in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], Australia, located in the central part of the state. It covers an area of {{convert|1530|km2|mi2}} and, in August 2021, had a population of 20,253.<ref name=ABSLGA/> It includes the of [[Castlemaine, Victoria|Castlemaine]], [[Chewton, Victoria|Chewton]], [[Elphinstone, Victoria|Elphinstone]], [[Maldon, Victoria|Maldon]], [[Newstead, Victoria|Newstead]], [[Harcourt, Victoria|Harcourt]], [[Taradale, Victoria|Taradale]], [[Fryerstown, Victoria|Fryerstown]] and [[Campbells Creek, Victoria|Campbells Creek]]. The [[traditional owners]] of the land are the [[Dja Dja Wurrung]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Council|first=corporateName=Mount Alexander Shire|title=Mount Alexander Shire Council - Our shire|url=https://www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/Page/Page.aspx?Page_Id=2189|access-date=2021-04-27|website=Mount Alexander Shire Council|language=en}}</ref>

The Shire is governed and administered by the '''Mount Alexander Shire Council'''; its [[seat of local government]] and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Castlemaine. It also has service centres located in Maldon and Newstead. The Shire is named after [[Mount Alexander]], north-east of Castlemaine, the name of which was historically applied to the broader Castlemaine region and goldfields. 

== History ==
An earlier "Shire of Mount Alexander", centred around [[Guildford, Victoria|Guildford]], existed from 1871 until 1915, when it was absorbed into the [[Shire of Newstead]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mount Alexander I (United Shire 1871-1915) |url=https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/VA4115 |access-date=2025-10-28 |website=Public Record Office Victoria}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Gazette VIC|date=15 September 1915|page=3347|title=Order in Council uniting Shire of Mount Alexander with the Shire of Newstead|url=https://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/view.cgi?year=1915&class=general&page_num=3347}}</ref>

The modern Shire was formed in 1995 from the amalgamation of the [[City of Castlemaine]], Shire of Newstead, [[Shire of Metcalfe]] (less the [[Redesdale, Victoria|Redesdale]] district) and [[Shire of Maldon]] (less the area around [[Eddington, Victoria|Eddington]] township).<ref name="Gazette" /> 
[[File:Victoria_LGAs_pre-_vs_post-amalgamation_Mount_Alexander.png|center|thumb|300x300px|Mount Alexander Shire's predecessor LGAs (green) as they were in 1994. The administrative centres of the former LGAs are marked by green dots.]]

==Council==

===Current composition===
The council is composed of eight single member-wards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meet your Councillors |url=https://www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/Council/Council-information/Meet-your-Councillors |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au |language=en-AU}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Ward!!colspan="2"|Party!!Councillor!!Notes
|-
|Barkers Creek
| {{Australian party style|Independent}} |&nbsp;|| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
|Rosie Annear
|Mayor
|-
| Calder
| {{Australian party style|Independent}} |&nbsp;|| Independent
| Anthony Cordy
|
|-
|Campbells Creek
| {{Australian party style|Independent}} |&nbsp;|| Independent
|Bill Maltby
|
|-
| Coliban
| {{Australian party style|Independent}} |&nbsp;|| Independent
| Phillip Walker 
|
|-
|Forest Creek
| {{Australian party style|Independent}} |&nbsp;|| Independent
|Toby Heydon
|Deputy Mayor
|-
| Loddon River
| {{Australian party style|Independent}} |&nbsp;|| Independent
| Matthew Driscoll 
|
|-
|Moonlight Creek
| {{Australian party style|Greens}} |&nbsp;|| [[Victorian Greens|Greens]]
|Lucas Maddock
|
|-
| Tarrengower
| {{Australian party style|Independent}} |&nbsp;|| Independent
| Rosalie Hastwell 
|
|}

===Administration and governance===
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Castlemaine Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Castlemaine, and its service centres in Maldon and Newstead.

==Townships and localities==
In the 2021 census, the shire had a population of 20,253, up from 18,761 in the 2016 census.<ref>{{cite web |title=Census {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census |website=www.abs.gov.au |language=en |date=11 January 2023}}</ref>

{{columns-start|num=4}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan="3" | Population
|-
! Locality !! 2016 !! 2021
|-
| [[Barfold, Victoria|Barfold]] || 88 || 82
|-
| [[Baringhup]] || 205 || 185
|-
| [[Baringhup West]] || 16 || 11
|-
| [[Barkers Creek, Victoria|Barkers Creek]] || 457 || 487
|-
| [[Bradford, Victoria|Bradford]] || 9 || 12
|-
| [[Campbells Creek, Victoria|Campbells Creek]] || 1,786 || 2,071
|-
| [[Campbelltown, Victoria|Campbelltown]]^ || 55 || 51
|-
| [[Carisbrook, Victoria|Carisbrook]]^ || 1,115 || 1,192
|-
| [[Castlemaine, Victoria|Castlemaine]]|| 6,757 || 7,506
|-
| [[Chewton, Victoria|Chewton]] || 1,313 || 763
|-
| [[Chewton Bushlands]] || 45 || 50
|-
| [[Drummond North, Victoria|Drummond North]]^ || 187 || 203
|-
| [[Eastville, Victoria|Eastville]]^ || 24 || 13
|-
| [[Eddington, Victoria|Eddington]]^ || 96 || 113
|-
| [[Elphinstone, Victoria|Elphinstone]] || 555 || 633
|}
{{Column}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan="3" | Population
|-
! Locality !! 2016 !! 2021
|-
| [[Faraday, Victoria|Faraday]] || 158 || 194
|-
| [[Franklinford]]^ || 66 || 71
|-
| [[Fryerstown, Victoria|Fryerstown]] || 228 || 232
|-
| [[Glenluce, Victoria|Glenluce]] || 20 || 17
|-
| [[Golden Point, Shire of Mount Alexander|Golden Point]] || 105 || 102
|-
| [[Gower, Victoria|Gower]] || 45 || 45
|-
| [[Green Gully, Victoria|Green Gully]] || 62 || 71
|-
| [[Greenhill, Victoria|Greenhill]]^ || 54 || 60
|-
| [[Guildford, Victoria|Guildford]]^ || 333 || 330
|-
| [[Harcourt, Victoria|Harcourt]] || 943 || 1,038
|-
| [[Harcourt North]]^ || 265 || 291
|-
| [[Irishtown, Victoria|Irishtown]] || 15 || 16
|-
| [[Joyces Creek]]^ || 12 || 20
|-
| [[Langley, Victoria|Langley]] || 40 || 52
|-
| [[Lockwood South, Victoria|Lockwood South]]^ || 961 || 1,052
|}
{{column}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan="3" | Population
|-
! Locality !! 2016 !! 2021
|-
| [[Maldon, Victoria|Maldon]] || 1,513 || 1,665
|-
| [[Malmsbury, Victoria|Malmsbury]]^ || 831 || 905
|-
| [[McKenzie Hill, Victoria|McKenzie Hill]] || 502 || 775
|-
| [[Metcalfe, Victoria|Metcalfe]] || 185 || 190
|-
| [[Metcalfe East, Victoria|Metcalfe East]] || 29 || 25
|-
| {{VICcity|Moolort}}^ || 32 || 44
|-
| [[Moonlight Flat (Shire of Mount Alexander)|Moonlight Flat]]|| 77 || 85
|-
| [[Muckleford, Victoria|Muckleford]] || 405 || 426
|-
| [[Muckleford South]] || 45 || 33
|-
| [[Myrtle Creek, Victoria|Myrtle Creek]]^ || 67 || 68
|-
| [[Neereman]] || 24 || 23
|-
| [[Newstead, Victoria|Newstead]] || 754 || 820
|-
| [[Nuggetty]] || 85 || 64
|-
| [[Ravenswood, Victoria|Ravenswood]]'^ || 436 || 443
|-
| [[Ravenswood South]]|| 78 || 76
|}
{{column}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan="3" | Population
|-
! Locality !! 2016 !! 2021
|-
| [[Redesdale, Victoria|Redesdale]]^ || 240 || 299
|-
| [[Sandon, Victoria|Sandon]] || 81 || 89
|-
| [[Shelbourne, Victoria|Shelbourne]]^ || 452 || 423
|-
| [[Strangways, Victoria|Strangways]]^ || 87 || 101
|-
| [[Strathlea]]^ || 24 || 33
|-
| [[Sutton Grange, Victoria|Sutton Grange]] || 132 || 160
|-
| [[Taradale, Victoria|Taradale]]^ || 448 || 524
|-
| [[Tarilta]]^ || 21 || 26
|-
| [[Tarrengower]]|| 64 || 56
|-
| [[Vaughan, Victoria|Vaughan]] || 64 || 55
|-
| [[Walmer, Victoria|Walmer]] || 223 || 262
|-
| [[Welshmans Reef]] || 233 || 210
|-
| [[Werona]]^ || 46 || 43
|-
| [[Yandoit Hills]] || 28 || 44
|-
| [[Yapeen, Victoria|Yapeen]] || 213 || 272
|}
{{columns-end}}
'''^''' - ''Territory divided with another [[Local government areas of Victoria|LGA]]''

==See also==
[[List of localities (Victoria)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category-inline}}
* [http://www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/ Mount Alexander Shire Council official website]
* [http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/location/view/106 Metlink local public transport map] 
* [http://services.land.vic.gov.au/landchannel/jsp/map/InteractiveMapIntro.jsp Link to Land Victoria interactive maps]
* {{Victorian local government areas pre-1994 vs present map link}}

{{Towns in Mount Alexander Shire}}
{{Local Government Areas of Victoria}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|37|04|00|S|144|13|00|E|type:adm2nd_region:AU-VIC|display=title}}

[[Category:Local government areas of Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:Loddon Mallee (region)]]
[[Category:Mount Alexander Shire| ]]
[[Category:North Central Victoria]]

{{Mallee-geo-stub}}