Alexandra

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Location

On the road to Mansfield, on the UT Creek

Beginings

This area was explored by Hume and Hovell in 1824 on their trip from the Murray River to the Western District.

The area was inhabited by the Taungurong Aboriginal community.

There was some white settlement in the area from squatters in the 1840s. The town was developed through gold mining.

The town was named Alexandra, after Alexandra, the wife of King Edward VII. They married when he was Prince of Wales and she was the Princess Royal.(Alexandra10/11/1868)

The area was originally called Red Gate Diggings and the town, Red Gate

Photograph

Map

Importance of Alexandra

Gold was discovered by Alexander McGregor, Don and Luckie in 1866 and the town soon became one of the top 3 or 4 centres in North Eastern Victoria.

See the details of mines (Alexandra2/6/1868)

Alexandra soon became the main centre for a wide gold mining area and a strong farming community on the upper reaches of the Goulburn River. There was considerable rivalry with Mansfield.

The gold rush lasted into the early 1870s

The Alexandra Times, a 4 page twice weekly newspaper was first published in 1868. John Whitelaw, editor (Alexandra2/6/1868)

What was Alexandra like in the late 1870s

Mr Knowles destroyed a punt because he did not like the election result (Alexandra14/12/1872)

What was the area like. (Alexandra11/101873) (Argus9/5/79)

The town needed a proper town water supply (Alexandra15/2/1873)

Alexandra Times was a good news paper for local news.

By about 1884 the gold rush had ended and the town was nearly deserted but it was sustained by the timber industry and as a centre for the farming community. Most of the buildings were made of timber and very few of them survive

Facilities in Alexandra in the late 1870s

Population Hotels About 20 hotels in 1868

The Corner Hotel Mr J B Morris, (21/6/1872) Mr Fletcher, Mr Bain

Eldorado Hotel James A Cooper, Edward Perkins

Miners Exchange P. O'Donnel Grant St

Montezuma Hotel John Levy

Shamrock Hotel

Churches Anglican, St Johns

Catholic

Wesleyan Church built 1880 Schools State School. Mr Stevens (Alexandra2/11/1878) (11/10/1873) Bank Union Bank JP Bainbridge manager Main Streets

Grant Street

The Alexandra shire was formed in 1869 Local Government' Police Station ' Telegraph Office

Post Office SP Boyd postmaster Other things of interest There was a preoccupation about the need for a railway up the Goulburn valley (Alexandra3/5/1872)

Alexandra Cottage Hospital, established in 1870(Alexandra5/10/1878)

Alexandra Cricket Club ( Alexandra5/10/1878 ) the players (2/11/1878)

Alexandra Skating Rink (Alexandra6/9/1879)

Alexandra Times , John Whitelaw editor

Fire brigade

Masonic lodge opened 1869

Mechanics Institute (Alexandra5/10/1878)

Auctioneer EW Sampson , WH Curteis and McKay ( Alexandra5/10/1878 )

Lion Brewery Mr James Blain , Burton Brewery (Eagles and Co)

'Boot maker Long (Alexandra9/12/1876) '

Brick maker Mr Plummer (Alexandra26/4/1873) '

Dr James Fergusson doctor ( Alexandra5/10/1878 )

Andrew B Crichton General store and reading room (Alexandra9/12/1876)

4 bakers in 1868 (Alexandra10/11/1868)

William Lawerence Bellman and Billsticker - advertised events

Thomas Fairhurst, J Briggs Builder

J & D Crichton Butcher

C Oliver , Frederick Wheeler Chemists (Alexandra9/12/1876)

J Peterkin Crocer

Thomas Hall Dressmaker

Draper Henry Williams (Alexandra9/12/1876)

G Jobson, Rapiport and Davis,Justice Bros, General store

Frederick Coster, Alfred H Emerson Solicitors

Frederick W Saunders Photographer

W H Sault saddler

James Doran Livery stabbles

Thomas Thompson & Co, later G Walker & Co tailor

Thomas Wali seed merchant

G Pitschner Tinsmith

Henry Hitchcock Wheel Wright

R Vining Steam Saw Mills

F Wheeler insurance salesman AMP

W Downing Victoria Life and General Insurance Company and Savings Institute

'Thomas Hall National Insurance Company of Australia '

Maurice Raphael Estate agent and mining sharebroker

coach from Alexandra to Tallarook daily. A Hamea agent

Bessie Cohen The Club (Grant st)

Vining's Athenaeum (Alexandra6/9/1879)

Links to the KellyGang

Const Irwin led search party to Alexandra .(Argus30/10/78)

SConst Irvine led a search prty near Alexandra (Argus31/12/78)

He gave evidence against Walter Lynch. (Argus21/11/78)

The KellyGang in the area ?(Argus13/11/78) (Argus19/11/78) (Argus13/12/78) (Argus23/12/78)

All the gold was taken from the bank to Melbourne (Argus17/12/78)

Members of the Alexandra community

What happened at Alexandra after the time of the KellyGang

What is happening at Alexandra today

The country around Alexandra is slowly recovering from the 2009 bushfires