Melba is a residential suburb in the Belconnen district of Canberra, located within the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The suburb of Melba is named after Dame Nellie Melba (1861–1931), the first internationally recognised Australian operasoprano. The streets are named after composers, singers and other musically notable Australians or people with strong Australian connections.[2]
Features
Located in Melba are a government run primary school (Mount Rogers Community School), and a merged secondary school, Melba Copland Secondary School, a merge of Melba High School and Copland College.
Melba Tennis Club and its eight courts are located adjacent to the playing fields. A former member of the club is Annabel Ellwood, whose highest ranking on the WTA Women's Professional Tour was 57 for singles and 60 for Doubles in 1997. Ellwood's name appears on the honour board in the clubhouse.
A porphyry of Green-grey Dacitic intrusive containing large white Feldspar crystals is found in the north east corner. Green grey dacitic tuff from the Hawkins Volcanics occur on the south east side of Melba. Green grey dacite and quartz andesite occur in the north west to the south east. This is intruded by a band of Glebe Farm Adamellite. Deakin Volcanics purple rhyodacite with a patch of purple and green tuff are in the south west. The Deakin Fault runs north west through Melba and is marked by quartz.[5]
Brash Place – James Brash (1881–1861), composer, conductor and adjudicator; Musical Editor, Chappell and Company
Brier Place – Percy Brier, (1885–1970), pianist, organist, conductor and composer; a founder of the Brisbane Chamber Music Society; founded the Music Teachers' Association of Queensland, and the Guild of Composers
Brownlee Place – John Brownlee, baritone who often sang with Melba
Charvin Court – Yvonne Charvin (née Leverrier) (1879-1917); studied piano with Josef Kretschmann, Sydney, 1896, and with Leschetitsky, Vienna, 1898; taught and performed in Paris; returned to Australia in 1903; performed at the Sydney Town Hall in 1904; taught at the NSW Conservatorium; decorated by the French Government with Croix Rouge Francaise for concert work for Red Cross, 1914–15; sister of Frank Leverrier.
Chinner Crescent – Norman Chinner (1909–1961), organist and conductor
Clifford Crescent
Clutsam Place – George Clutsam, piano accompanist to Melba, composer
