Alexandra is a town in north-east Victoria, Australia, 130 kilometres north-east of the State Capital, Melbourne. It is located at the junction of the Goulburn Valley Highway (B340) and Maroondah Highway (B360), in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area. At the , the town had a population of 2,695 and the broader area (Alexandra District) a population of 6420. Gold mining was the catalyst for the development of the town with many mines around Alexandra and particularly along Ultima Thule Creek, known locally as UT Creek, which runs through the town. The town's post office was opened in 1867. The town has a number of parks. Rotary Park is adjacent to UT Creek and the town's main street and includes toilets, barbecues and the Visitor Information Centre. Leckie Park is a larger, picturesque park of over 11 hectares, also along UT Creek. It includes the Alexandra Bowling Club, a playground and the town's cenotaph. Lake Eildon, a major water storage, is 12 kilometres east of Alexandra and a major tourist attraction for boating and fishing. The nearby Goulburn River and other local streams such as the Rubicon River also attract many anglers. The Riversdale bridge across the Goulburn is only about 2 kilometres west of the town centre. Other popular activities in the area include hunting, four wheel driving, hiking and camping. Alexandra is the largest town in this part of Victoria and the headquarters of the Shire of Murrindindi as well as State government departments. History The original inhabitants of the area were members of two clans of the Taungurung aboriginal people. The town was settled by Europeans in the late 1860s, with a Post Office opening on 15 March 1867 (known until 24 April 1867) as Redgate. The town was originally known as Redgate, or Red Gate Diggings. The current name is thought to derive from either Alexandra of Denmark, when the shire was given a statue of her, or from three men named Alexander (Alesander McGregor, Alexander Don, and Alexander Luckie) who discovered gold in the area in 1866. Alexandra has a rich history encompassing gold mining, farming and timber. Industry and commerce has developed along with many other pursuits over a broad spectrum. Alexandra, at the gateway to the high country & the snow, has played a big part in the development of Victoria's high country, mountain cattle grazing and particularly the timber industry that