East Melbourne in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia — Oceania
Dame Nellie Melba
Photographed by Dean Barton-Ancliffe, May 11, 2026
1. Dame Nellie Melba Marker
the world-famous soprano,
Dame Nellie Melba,
began to teach aspiring singers the
principles of her celebrated vocal technique.
On 26th February 1931,
Melba's funeral cortege paused near the door.
Her devoted students, many of them weeping,
piled flowers on her coffin.
This plaque was presented to the Victorian Artists' Society
by the Bottlebrush Club 2014.
Erected 2014 by The Bottlebrush Club.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education. A significant historical date for this entry is April 15, 1915.
Location. 37° 48.57′ S, 144° 58.579′ E. Marker is in East Melbourne, Victoria, in Melbourne. It is on Albert Street 0.1 kilometers west of Morrison Place, on the left when traveling west. Marker is to the right of the main door. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 430 Albert Street, East Melbourne VIC 3002, Australia. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in Oceania, in Australasia, in the Pacific Ocean, in South Pacific, on the Pacific Rim, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically,
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Victorian Artists' Society (here, next to this marker); New Temple Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Daniel O'Connell (within shouting distance of this marker); Aubrey Bowen Wing, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (within shouting distance of this marker); Daniel Mannix (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); Eastern Hill Fire Station (about 150 meters away); Saint Patrick's College (about 210 meters away); Great Petition (approx. 0.2 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in East Melbourne.
Also see . . .
1. Dame Nellie Melba (1861–1931). Australian Dictionary of Biography
Dame Nellie Melba (1861-1931), prima donna, was born Helen Porter Mitchell on 19 May 1861 at Richmond, Melbourne, eldest surviving of ten children of David Mitchell, building contractor, and his wife Isabella Ann, née Dow. Her father's business acumen and strict code of behaviour strongly influenced Melba, who later declared that of all the men she had known he(Submitted on May 12, 2026, by Dean Barton-Ancliffe of Rowville, Victoria.)had meant most to her. Her mother shared her husband's taste for music and proficiently played a number of instruments including the family harmonium; she was the girl's first music teacher. Nellie was not, however, an infant prodigy. Although she first sang in public when 6, forming a lifelong attachment to 'Comin' thro' the Rye', it was her humming that visitors noticed. Unwittingly she had hit upon what she would later describe as an effective vocal exercise. She also whistled, and generally behaved like a tomboy.Photographed by Dean Barton-Ancliffe, May 11, 20262. Victorian Artists Society
2. Flashback 1931 - Funeral of Dame Nellie Melba DBE (Youtube, 1:38). “ Melba died in Sydney on 23 February 1931. She was 71. Her funeral was one of the biggest ever seen in Australia. Mourners remembered her farewell message: 'I have done my best. For all that Australia has done for me, for all the beauty she has shown me, for all the love she has offered, I wish to say "thank you" from the bottom of my heart.' Melba was buried, as she wanted, in the cemetery at Lilydale, not far from her treasured Coombe Cottage. Her grave bears
Rotary Photo, E.G. (courtesy J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah), circa 1900
3. Mme. Melba
Credits. This page was last revised on May 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 12, 2026, by Dean Barton-Ancliffe of Rowville, Victoria. This page has been viewed 16 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 12, 2026, by Dean Barton-Ancliffe of Rowville, Victoria. 3. submitted on May 13, 2026. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
