Dame Nellie MelbaPrint Page 
The plaque commemorates the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Australia’s great diva Dame Nellie Melba.
Dame Nellie Melba GBE (19 May 1861 – 23 February 1931), born Helen Porter Mitchell, was an Australian opera soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian Era and the early 20th century due to the purity of her lyrical voice and the brilliance of her technique. Melba was the first Australian to achieve international recognition as a classical musician. She took the pseudonym "Melba" from Melbourne, her home town.
Location
| Address: | Collins & Russell Streets, Scots Church, Melbourne, 3000 |
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| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -37.81469 Long: 144.968609 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
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| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Arts |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 19-May-1861 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 19-May-2011 |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Thursday 19th May, 2011 |
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Dame Nellie Melba (1861 - 1931)
world famous soprano
Melba was born in Burnley Street Richmond on 19 May 1861. Christened Helen Porter Mitchell, she worshipped in The Scots` Church, sang in its choir and attended Presbyterian Ladies College before making her debut at the Monnaie Theatre in Brussels in 1887. Thereafter she dominated opera in Great Britain, Europe, North America and Australia, and earned global fame through the new medium of the gramophone. She chose the stage name of Melba in homage to her birth-city, Melbourne.
Melba was buried from the The Scots` Church on 26 February 1931, the long funeral procession to her grave in Lilydale being a notable event in the history of this city. She is remembered as one of Australia`s greatest daughters.
This plaque was erected by The Melbourne Scots in memory of Melba and her parents: David Mitchell who was born at Forfar, Scotland in 1829 and Isabella Dow who was born in Dundee in 1833. They met and married in gold-rush Melbourne, where Mitchell prospered as a builder, constructing The Scots` Church and the Exhibition Building. They pass on to their children and enduring affection for their Scottish heritage.
