The road is named after Dame Nellie Melba, a famed Australian opera singer of the early 20th century, whose former country estate lies at the southern end of the highway, at the junction of the Melba and Maroondah highways in Coldstream.
The road honors Dame Nellie Melba, an influential Australian opera singer from the early 20th century, whose former residence is located at the southern end of the highway, near the junction of the Melba and Maroondah highways in Coldstream.