The overlander and explorer, Edward John Eyre, camped the north-west slope of Mount Alexander on 8 February 1838[10] Despite having lent its name to the most famous gold-rush of the years 1851 and 1852, the mountain itself is not gold-bearing country.

The manager of Sutton Grange Station, Lockhart Morton, named these rocks in 1846 because they were the favourite lair of packs of dingoes.

[14] Large-scale quarrying of granite on the mountain started in 1859, with stone supplied for the building of the for the Melbourne to Echuca Railway.

A huge bonfire constructed on the summit was lit to honour the visit of the then Duke of Edinburgh in 1867[16] Large areas on Mount Alexander were reserved for use by the Victorian Ladies Sericulture Company.

Under the leadership of Mrs Bladen Neill, and her manager Jessie Grover twenty acres were fenced, cleared and planted with mulberry trees.

[17] A quantity of silk was produced but the unsuitability of the situation forced the abandonment of the enterprise in 1876[18] A granite cairn marking the summit was built in 1876 and serves as a trigonometric station.

[19] Upon the relief of Mafeking the young men of the district erected and lit a bonfire on the summit, this was visible for a very great distance.

Target Rock is a notable feature of the north-west slopes, marking the site of a rifle range utilised by the militia between the Boer War & World War I. Langs Lookout commemorates the efforts of James H. Lang, to have a tourist road constructed across the top of the range.

Mount Alexander hosts a unique member of the brassica genus called southern shepherd's purse (ballantinia antipoda).