Mitcham station opened in March 1883 with the opening of the Adelaide to Aldgate section of the Adelaide-Melbourne line. It was originally planned to call the station Lower Mitcham but the name was changed prior to opening. It was previously served by the Melbourne Express. Mitcham previously was a junction for lines to Clapham and Sleeps Hill. It is currently a stop on the Belair suburban commuter line. Mitcham and Blackwood are the only stations between Goodwood and Belair to have more than one platform in use.
The Mitcham railway station garden, known as Nellie's Garden, is named in honour of Nellie Iris Ellis (1920-1983) who established the garden. Mrs Ellis was the wife of a former stationmaster. The garden is maintained by volunteers and is one of only five public gardens provided by the City of Mitcham.[2][3]
In 2019, portions of Escape from Pretoria, a 2020 Australian prison film, was shot at the station and Nellie's Garden. During this time, trains did not stop at Mitcham.