Mount Alexander Shire

Shire of Mount Alexander
Local government area
Location in Victoria
CountryAustralia
StateVictoria
RegionLoddon Mallee
Established1995
Council seatCastlemaine
Government
 • MayorRosie Annear
 • State electorates
 • Federal division
Area
[3]
 • Total
1,530 km2 (590 sq mi)
Population
 • Total20,253 (2021)[1]
 • Density13.24/km2 (34.28/sq mi)
Gazetted19 January 1995[2]
WebsiteShire of Mount Alexander
LGAs around Shire of Mount Alexander
Loddon Greater Bendigo Greater Bendigo
Central Goldfields Shire of Mount Alexander Mitchell
Hepburn Hepburn Macedon Ranges

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 1,530 square kilometres (590 mi2) and, in August 2021, had a population of 20,253.[3] 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.[4]

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.[5][6]

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).[2]

Council

Current composition

The council is composed of eight single member-wards.[7]

Ward Party Councillor Notes
Barkers Creek   Independent Rosie Annear Mayor
Calder   Independent Anthony Cordy
Campbells Creek   Independent Bill Maltby
Coliban   Independent Phillip Walker
Forest Creek   Independent Toby Heydon Deputy Mayor
Loddon River   Independent Matthew Driscoll
Moonlight Creek   Greens Lucas 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.[8]

Population
Locality 2016 2021
Barfold 88 82
Baringhup 205 185
Baringhup West 16 11
Barkers Creek 457 487
Bradford 9 12
Campbells Creek 1,786 2,071
Campbelltown^ 55 51
Carisbrook^ 1,115 1,192
Castlemaine 6,757 7,506
Chewton 1,313 763
Chewton Bushlands 45 50
Drummond North^ 187 203
Eastville^ 24 13
Eddington^ 96 113
Elphinstone 555 633
Population
Locality 2016 2021
Faraday 158 194
Franklinford^ 66 71
Fryerstown 228 232
Glenluce 20 17
Golden Point 105 102
Gower 45 45
Green Gully 62 71
Greenhill^ 54 60
Guildford^ 333 330
Harcourt 943 1,038
Harcourt North^ 265 291
Irishtown 15 16
Joyces Creek^ 12 20
Langley 40 52
Lockwood South^ 961 1,052
Population
Locality 2016 2021
Maldon 1,513 1,665
Malmsbury^ 831 905
McKenzie Hill 502 775
Metcalfe 185 190
Metcalfe East 29 25
Moolort^ 32 44
Moonlight Flat 77 85
Muckleford 405 426
Muckleford South 45 33
Myrtle Creek^ 67 68
Neereman 24 23
Newstead 754 820
Nuggetty 85 64
Ravenswood'^ 436 443
Ravenswood South 78 76
Population
Locality 2016 2021
Redesdale^ 240 299
Sandon 81 89
Shelbourne^ 452 423
Strangways^ 87 101
Strathlea^ 24 33
Sutton Grange 132 160
Taradale^ 448 524
Tarilta^ 21 26
Tarrengower 64 56
Vaughan 64 55
Walmer 223 262
Welshmans Reef 233 210
Werona^ 46 43
Yandoit Hills 28 44
Yapeen 213 272

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

See also

List of localities (Victoria)

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "2021 Community Profiles: Mount Alexander (Local Government Area)". 2021 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive (1837–1997). "S2 of 1995: Order estg (Part 10) the Shire of Mount Alexander". State Library of Victoria. State Government of Victoria (published 19 January 1995). p. 4. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  3. ^ a b "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
  4. ^ Council, corporateName=Mount Alexander Shire. "Mount Alexander Shire Council - Our shire". Mount Alexander Shire Council. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Mount Alexander I (United Shire 1871-1915)". Public Record Office Victoria. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  6. ^ "Order in Council uniting Shire of Mount Alexander with the Shire of Newstead". Victoria Government Gazette. Victorian Government Printer. 15 September 1915. p. 3347.
  7. ^ "Meet your Councillors". www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  8. ^ "Census | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. 11 January 2023.

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