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 sq mi) and, in August 2021, had a population of 20,253.[3] It includes the towns of Castlemaine, Chewton, Elphinstone, Maldon, Newstead, Harcourt, Taradale, Vaughan, Fryerstown and Campbells Creek. It was formed in 1995 from the amalgamation of the City of Castlemaine, Shire of Newstead, and most of the Shire of Maldon and Shire of Metcalfe.[2] The traditional owners of the land are Dja Dja Wurrung.[4]
| Shire of Mount Alexander Victoria | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Location in Victoria | |||||||||||||||
| Population | 20,253 (2021)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 13.24/km2 (34.28/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1995 | ||||||||||||||
| Gazetted | 19 January 1995[2] | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 1,530 km2 (590.7 sq mi)[3] | ||||||||||||||
| Mayor | Rosie Annear | ||||||||||||||
| Council seat | Castlemaine | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Loddon Mallee | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | |||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Bendigo | ||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||
| Website | Shire of Mount Alexander | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
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 the first European settlers' name for the Castlemaine region and goldfields.
Council
editCurrent composition
editThe council is composed of five wards and seven councillors, with three councillors elected to represent the Castlemaine Ward and one councillor per remaining ward elected to represent each of the other wards.[5]
| Ward | Councillor | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calder | Tony Cordy | ||
| Castlemaine | Rosie Annear | ||
| Bill Maltby | |||
| Gary McClure | |||
| Coliban | Christine Henderson | ||
| Loddon | Matthew Driscoll | ||
| Tarrengower | Stephen Gardner | ||
Administration and governance
editThe 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
editIn the 2021 census, the shire had a population of 20,253, up from 18,761 in the 2016 census.[6]
| 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 | 2,107 | 2,217 |
| 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
editReferences
edit- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Council, corporateName=Mount Alexander Shire. "Mount Alexander Shire Council - Our shire". Mount Alexander Shire Council. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
- ^ Local Government in Victoria. "Mount Alexander Shire Council". Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure. State Government of Victoria. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
- ^ "Census | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. 11 January 2023.
External links
edit