# Mount Alexander Shire

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. 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. The traditional owners of the land are 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 the first European settlers' name for the Castlemaine region and goldfields.

## Council
### Current composition

The council is composed of eight single member-wards.
| 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.
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