Melling, New Zealand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melling
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Suburb
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 Melling
Location in New Zealand
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Local authority | Lower Hutt City |
| Electoral ward | Western |
| Train station(s) | Melling Railway Station |
  Melling, New Zealand  |
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Melling is a small area, called a suburb, in Lower Hutt. It's north of Wellington in New Zealand's North Island. It sits on the west side of the Hutt River. The main road, State Highway 2, goes right through it. Melling is also directly across the river from downtown Lower Hutt.
The name Melling also refers to a three-lane bridge. This bridge connects the main part of Hutt City to State Highway 2. Sometimes, traffic on this bridge can get very busy. From the Melling Bridge, you can drive up to the hill areas like Harbour View and Tirohanga. There are plans to make the roads around the Melling and Kennedy-Good bridges better.
History of Melling
Melling was named after a man called William Melling. He was a mentor to Richard Seddon, who later became the Premier of New Zealand. William Melling helped Seddon when he worked in a foundry in England. Even after Seddon moved to New Zealand, they stayed in touch. Seddon would even send New Zealand lamb to Melling for Christmas!
The name Melling was chosen after Premier Seddon visited his friend William Melling in 1897. William Melling never actually visited New Zealand himself. The first Melling railway station opened on May 26, 1908. The Melling bridge, which is still important today, opened in 1909.
The Melling Train Line
The Melling Railway Station is the end point, or "terminus," of the Melling Line. This train line offers a service for people who travel to work or school in Wellington. It's a handy way for commuters to get around.
This line was once part of a longer train route called the Hutt Valley Line. That line went all the way to Upper Hutt and even to the Wairarapa region. However, on March 1, 1954, the Melling Line became its own separate branch line. This happened because the section of track north of Melling was closed. A new double-tracked line was built on the eastern side of the Hutt River to replace it.
