The Mount Alexander Shire (officially Shire of Mount Alexander) is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central part of the state. It covers an area of and, in August 2021, had a population of 20,253. It includes the of Castlemaine, Chewton, Elphinstone, Maldon, Newstead, Harcourt, Taradale, Fryerstown and Campbells Creek. The traditional owners of the land are the Dja Dja Wurrung.
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, existed from 1871 until 1915, when it was absorbed into the Shire of Newstead.
The modern Shire was formed in 1995 from the amalgamation of the City of Castlemaine, Shire of Newstead, Shire of Metcalfe (less the Redesdale district) and Shire of Maldon (less the area around Eddington township).
Council
Current composition The council is composed of eight single member-wards. WardPartyCouncillorNotesBarkers Creek IndependentRosie AnnearMayor Calder Independent Anthony CordyCampbells Creek IndependentBill Maltby Coliban Independent Phillip Walker Forest Creek IndependentToby HeydonDeputy Mayor Loddon River Independent Matthew Driscoll Moonlight Creek GreensLucas Maddock Tarrengower 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.
Population Locality 2016 2021 88 82 Baringhup 205 185 Baringhup West 16 11 457 487 9 12 1,786 2,071 ^ 55 51 ^ 1,115 1,192 6,757 7,506 1,313 763 Chewton Bushlands 45 50 ^ 187 203 ^ 24 13 ^ 96 113 555 633 158 194 Franklinford^ 66 71 228 232 20 17 Golden Point 105 102 45 45 62 71 ^ 54 60 ^ 333 330 943 1,038 Harcourt North^ 265 291 15 16 Joyces Creek^ 12 20 40 52 ^ 961 1,052 1,513 1,665 ^ 831 905 502 775 185 190 29 25 ^ 32 44 Moonlight Flat 77 85 405 426 Muckleford South 45 33 ^ 67 68 Neereman 24 23 754 820 Nuggetty 85 64 ^ 436 443 Ravenswood South 78 76 ^ 240 299 81 89 ^ 452 423 ^ 87 101 Strathlea^ 24 33 132 160 ^ 448 524 Tarilta^ 21 26 Tarrengower 64 56 64 55 223 262 Welshmans Reef 233 210 Werona^ 46 43 Yandoit Hills 28 44 213 272 ^ - Territory divided with another LGA
See also List of localities (Victoria)
References
External links
Mount Alexander Shire Council official website Metlink local public transport map Link to Land Victoria interactive maps