Melling, New Zealand


Melling is a suburb of Lower Hutt, to the north of Wellington in the North Island of New Zealand. It is on the west bank of the Hutt River, on State Highway 2, the Wellington-Hutt main road, and directly across the river from the centre of Lower Hutt. It is also the name of the three-lane bridge connecting the Hutt City central business district with State Highway 2, a route subject to extensive congestion at peak times. From the Melling Bridge it is possible to drive straight ahead into the hill suburbs of Harbour View and Tirohanga.
Improved interchanges are planned for the Melling and Kennedy-Good bridges.

History

Melling was named after Tom Mellings, a former Lancashire workmate of Richard Seddon. The name came about after then-Premier Seddon revisited England and reunited with Mellings in 1897. Mellings had never visited New Zealand, and the local settlers intended to change the name to one of greater significance.
The original Melling railway station opened on 26 May 1908, while the Melling bridge opened in 1909.

Melling Line

The Melling Railway Station is the terminus of the Melling Line which provides a suburban commuter service to Wellington. This line was originally part of the Hutt Valley Line through to Upper Hutt and the Wairarapa, but became a separate branch line on 1 March 1954, when the section north of Melling to Haywards was closed and replaced by a new double-tracked line on the eastern side of the Hutt River.