Station Names on Melbourne's (former) Port Melbourne Line

Coming up on nobody's favourite series, the name origins of stations on the Port Melbourne line!

Short History

Port Melbourne first opened as the Sandridge line in 1854, the first of its kind in Australia. It became the Port Melbourne line in 1884 and was electrified in 1919. The line was closed in 1987 as part of a measure to convert the line into Light Rail. The line now carries the 109 tram, which has run between Port Melbourne and Box Hill since 2003.

Montague

Montague is named after Montague Street, the road infamous for a bridge that no truck driver has ever passed. Montague is located to the west of that particular road.

The station also seems to have been named after a locality to the south. This locality was originally residential, but appears to have been demolished and replaced with industry.

North Port

North Port takes its name from being located in the northern part of the suburb of Port Melbourne.

This is shown through the prior names the station had. Originally opening as 'Raglan Street' (taken from the street right next to the station), the station was renamed to 'North Sandridge' in 1867, became known as 'Port Melbourne North' in 1886 before settling on 'North Port' in 1902.

Graham

Much like other stations, Graham takes its name from a specific street. In this case, the street is Graham Street, located near the former station. Graham Street used to have a level crossing, but that was removed in the 1970s due to the construction of the West Gate bridge.

Port Melbourne

The name Port Melbourne reflects the suburbs role in being Melbourne's primary port particularly during the 19th Century. Its role has been diminished by the Port of Melbourne, located in the suburb of West Melbourne.

Port Melbourne station first opened as 'Sandridge' which was also a name given to the surrounding area. The name seems to have originated from surveyor William Drake, who noted a ridge of sand dunes straddling the beach in the area. The station became Port Melbourne in 1884.

Conclusion

Sorry for the wait! Hopefully my next will not take nearly as long!

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