Leckie Park Playground, Vickery Street, Alexandra

Two play areas in parallel lines beside each other. One area has a four person rocker, high monkey rungs and swings. The other area has a suspended rocker, rope spiders web climbing frame and a low structure with slide, ladder, tunnel, fireman's pole, telephone and fixed frame ladder.

A shelter without seats or tables (is it just me that thinks such a structure is pretty useless except for sheltering from a rain shower), three unshaded tables, grassy area, toilets, artillery gun from the war and a lovely RSL memorial dedicated to those who made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War 1914-1918 and served in the 2nd World War and other campaigns.

Leckie Park is Alexandra's largest park and includes Jack Shiel Gardens and the Ultima Thule (UT) Creek.

History of the Park

Leckie Park is part of the larger UT Creek Reserve, created in 1887 for public recreation and water supply. It was named after John William Leckie (1872-1947), who excelled in football, cricket and athletics. After leaving school in 1890 he studied medicine for two years at the University of Melbourne and played VFL (Victorian Football League) football for Fitzroy during that time. He returned home before leaving for Western Australia to look for gold.

In 1898 he returned home, married May Johnston, managed the family farm Rosemount and the family
business (Beehive Stores). His first daughter Pattie married Robert Gordon Menzies, who was later the Prime Minister of Australia. Alexandra's Dame Pattie Menzies Centre bears her name.

Dove Cottage

Located at the west end of Leckie Park on Paynes Avenue and beside the (UT Creek).

While not the original structure on the site, Dove cottage is none-the-less based strongly upon the early miners huts that were built throughout the district during the 1800s and into the early 1900s. It's small and simple construction made for easy building and maintenance, while adequately meeting the miners needs at the time.

While the cottage is currently vacant, it has for the most part been occupied by local people, including Sarah Dove who lost her previous home in the 1939 Black Friday fires that ravished the state. She remained the occupant up until the early 1980's.

In 2009 the local history organisation Murrindindi Historic Register (now Alexandra Historical Society) applied to use the historic cottage as their place of business. Federal Government funding of $75,000 in 2010 saw the cottage fully renovated by November 2010. Today the structure is open on select days.

Dove Cottage is located just west of the Alexandra Bowling Club where a large gold crushers once operated 24 hours a day.

Princess Alexandra Statue

In early 1867, the quickly developing gold mining township of Red Gate Diggings was to be officially proclaimed Eglinton. This was the name written on surveyor John Downey's 1867 Survey Map and in his field note book (No. 1). However when the proclamation forms reached the government of the day in Melbourne, the name had been changed to Alexandra after Queen Alexandra - Queen Consort of England. The name Alexandra was ratified on 24 April 1867.

Early examination of the original survey map supplied to the government is reported to have shown a small slip of paper covering the name Eglinton. The slip had the name Alexandra written on it. The reason for this change and who was responsible is unknown.

The Princess Alexandra Statue is one of four white marble statues commissioned by Sir William Clarke and created by sculptor Charles Summers. The other statues were Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and the Prince and Princess of Wales.

After standing with the other statues in the set at the Victorian National Gallery in Melbourne for decades, Princess Alexandra was gifted to Alexandra in the late 1930s and officially opened on 28 July 1939 (with no colonnade) at the rear of the Alexandra Shire Hall. It was then moved to the back of the Alexandra Library where it sat for many years before eventually being placed prominently in Jack Shiel Garden, opposite the Murrindindi Shire Offices. In April 2015, the statue and colonnade were restored in time for the towns 150th Anniversary celebrations.

The Red Gate

Alexandra was originally named Redgate because of a red painted gate located beside the Ultima Thule Creek (UT Creek) near the back of the current Library building in Perkins Street. It was constructed by local pioneers. People entering and leaving the area would pass through this gate. Redgate was a shortened version of Redgate Diggings which the area was often referred to.

In 1867 Redgate was renamed to Alexandra after Princess Alexandra, the Queen Consort of England. Princess Alexandra married Crown Prince Edward at the St George Chapel, Windsor Castle in 1863. Today a statue of Princess Alexandra stands near the Red Gate.

It is likely that the gate's posts and possibly even the gate itself was constructed from Redgum, a type of Australian eucalypt tree that is known for its strength and durability. Redgum has a high resistance to rotting and is extremely durable in the extreme heat and cold of the Australian bush.

Redgum trees litter the Goulburn Valley River Flats where they grow well due to the moist ground fed by the river.

In 2010 the Shire of Murrindindi commissioned the construction of a replica Red Gate. Local Historians believe that this was built close to the location of the original Red Gate. This new gate stands on the North side of Perkins Street at the back of the Library and opens towards the creek.

The gate's posts are made from solid pieces of Redgum which was sourced locally. Care was taken to be as true to the period construction methods likely used in the 1800s as possible. It was opened on 30 October 2011, during the Alexandra Spring Carnival.

The Red Gate now stands as one of our district's historic landmarks and is open to the public 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

While viewing the Red Gate, it is also worth viewing the Princess Alexandra Statue located in Jack Shiel Garden, 60 m east of the Red Gate. A picnic table is also located in the garden.