The Alexandra Trig gets its name from being on Mount Alexandra, an extinct volcanic peak. Many landmarks around Mittagong are named after English royalty, in this case the peaked was officially named in January 1977 after the Princess of Wales (Princess Alexandra) who was the wife of the Prince of Wales, Prince Albert. The trig station is not actually on the top of Mount Alexandra, but about 40m lower along the ridge that descends towards the Hume Motorway.
There is no indication of Alexandra Trig on any old parish maps, so it was constructed much after the neighbouring trig stations (TS Gibraltar to the south, and TS Cumbertine to the north). The trig is in condition, with nameplate, post and vanes intact. The nameplate or plaque is on the base rather than on the post, which is unusual.
Getting to Alexandra Trig
There are a couple of ways to reach the Alexandra trig point, which is about 50m from the firetrail which traverses Mount Alexandra. From the south, park at the end of Mount Alexandra Lookout Road (off Leopold Street in Mittagong) and follow the firetrail past the Katoomba Lookout. Or, park at the western end of Leopold Street and take the firetrails and bushwalking track (GMA 2 / Forty Foot Falls Walking Track / GMA 11) to the northern end of Mount Alexandra, and them ascend from the north. You can also combine these to form a 5km loop, or visit the trig on the longer Box Vale Walking Track and Mount Alexandra loop.
From the firetrail, you can access the trig from the south-east, where you’ll need to scramble uo and through a rocky outcrop. Or from the west, where it’s a shorter and easy scramble up the small hill.
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