The Melba Highway connects the outer eastern suburb

Suburb

The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...

 of Coldstream

Coldstream, Victoria

Coldstream is a locality and township within Greater Melbourne beyond the Melbourne metropolitan area Urban Growth Boundary, 36 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges...

, near Lilydale

Lilydale, Victoria

Lilydale is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 35 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district situated in the Olinda Creek valley. At the 2006 Census, Lilydale had a population of 13,887...

, and the town

Town

A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

 of Yea

Yea, Victoria

Yea is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area. Located north-east of Melbourne via the Melba Highway, Yea sits at the junction with the Goulburn Valley Highway, and above sea-level. At the 2006 Census, Yea had a population of 1,052.- History :The...

, in Victoria's Central Highlands on the Goulburn Valley Highway

Goulburn Valley Highway

The Goulburn Valley Highway / is a highway located in Victoria, Australia. The section north beyond the Hume Freeway is part of the Melbourne to Brisbane National Highway and is the main link between these two cities as well as a major link between Victoria and inland New South Wales...

.

Route

The highway passes through the alluvial plains of the Yarra River

Yarra River

The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...

 and the rich Yarra Valley

Yarra Valley

The Yarra Valley is the name given to the region surrounding the Yarra River in Victoria, Australia. The river originates approximately 90 kilometres east of the City of Melbourne and flows towards it and out into Port Phillip Bay...

 vineyards near Yarra Glen. At Yarra Glen

Yarra Glen, Victoria

Yarra Glen is a town in Victoria, Australia, 40 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges...

, the road diverts from the main town street (Bell Street) and follows a recently completed bypass of the township. After rejoining the main highway north of Yarra Glen, the road rises up a steep grade between Dixons Creek and Glenburn to the top of the Great Dividing Range

Great Dividing Range

The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...

 at a road junction that links the highway with the nearby towns of Kinglake

Kinglake, Victoria

Kinglake is a town in Victoria, Australia situated in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area. At the 2006 Census, Kinglake had a population of 1482...

 and Toolangi, a former home of Australian author C. J. Dennis

C. J. Dennis

Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis, better known as C. J. Dennis, was an Australian poet known for his humorous poems, especially "The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke", published in the early 20th century...

.

From there, the road passes through forest and open agricultural land before reaching Yea, a small pastoral town.

Speed Limit

Coldstream - Yarra Glen 100 km/h

Yarra Glen 50 km/h

Yarra Glen - Glenburn 100 km/h

Glenburn 80 km/h

Glenburn-Yea 100 km/h

Yea 60 km/h

History

The road is named after Dame Nellie Melba

Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba GBE , born Helen "Nellie" Porter Mitchell, was an Australian operatic soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian Era and the early 20th century...

, 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

Maroondah Highway

Maroondah Highway , is a major east-west thoroughfare in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and a highway servicing the lower alpine region Victoria, Australia.-History:...

 highways in Coldstream.

The road is within the Shire of Yarra Ranges

Shire of Yarra Ranges

The Yarra Ranges Shire is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the outer eastern and northeastern suburbs of Melbourne extending into the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges...

 and Shire of Murrindindi local government areas.

In addition, the recently completed Yarra Glen bypass now diverts trucks and other through vehicles onto the new road, having been opened in May 2010. Works are continuing at the Bell Street/Melba Highway roundabout (at the Yarra Valley Tourist rail crossing) which is expected to completed by mid 2011.

Major intersections and towns

Melba Highway
Northbound	Distance to Yea (km)	Distance to Melbourne (km)	Southbound
T-Intersection (clockwise from highway) Goulburn Valley Highway Goulburn Valley Highway The Goulburn Valley Highway / is a highway located in Victoria, Australia. The section north beyond the Hume Freeway is part of the Melbourne to Brisbane National Highway and is the main link between these two cities as well as a major link between Victoria and inland New South Wales... to Seymour Seymour, Victoria Seymour is a township in the Shire of Mitchell in the state of Victoria, Australia and is located north of Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Seymour had a population of 6,063...  and Shepparton Shepparton, Victoria Shepparton is a city located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in the north east of Victoria, Australia approximately north-east of Melbourne. It is the fifth largest city in Victoria, Australia. The estimated population of Shepparton's statistical area is 48,926.It began as a sheep station... Goulburn Valley Highway Goulburn Valley Highway The Goulburn Valley Highway / is a highway located in Victoria, Australia. The section north beyond the Hume Freeway is part of the Melbourne to Brisbane National Highway and is the main link between these two cities as well as a major link between Victoria and inland New South Wales... to Alexandra Alexandra, Victoria Alexandra is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located at the junction of the Goulburn Valley Highway and Maroondah Highway , 26 kilometres west of Eildon, in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area...  and Mansfield Mansfield, Victoria Mansfield is a small town in the foothills of the Victorian part of the Australian Alps. It is approximately 180 km north-east of Melbourne...
End Melba Highway	0	111	Start Melba Highway
Yea Yea, Victoria Yea is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area. Located north-east of Melbourne via the Melba Highway, Yea sits at the junction with the Goulburn Valley Highway, and above sea-level. At the 2006 Census, Yea had a population of 1,052.- History :The...
Kinglake Kinglake, Victoria Kinglake is a town in Victoria, Australia situated in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area. At the 2006 Census, Kinglake had a population of 1482... , Healesville Healesville, Victoria Healesville is a town in Victoria, Australia, 52 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges...   Healesville-Kinglake Road	40	72	Healesville Healesville, Victoria Healesville is a town in Victoria, Australia, 52 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges... , Kinglake Kinglake, Victoria Kinglake is a town in Victoria, Australia situated in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area. At the 2006 Census, Kinglake had a population of 1482...   Healesville-Kinglake Road
Yarra Glen Yarra Glen, Victoria Yarra Glen is a town in Victoria, Australia, 40 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges...   Yea Road	53	58	Yarra Glen Yarra Glen, Victoria Yarra Glen is a town in Victoria, Australia, 40 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges... , Eltham Eltham, Victoria Eltham is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Nillumbik. At the 2006 Census, Eltham had a population of 17,581....   Yea Road
continues as	55	56	Healesville Healesville, Victoria Healesville is a town in Victoria, Australia, 52 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges...   Healesville-Yarra Glen Road
Healesville Healesville, Victoria Healesville is a town in Victoria, Australia, 52 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges...   Healesville-Yarra Glen Road			duplexes with
duplexes with	57	54	Yarra Glen Yarra Glen, Victoria Yarra Glen is a town in Victoria, Australia, 40 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges... , Eltham Eltham, Victoria Eltham is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Nillumbik. At the 2006 Census, Eltham had a population of 17,581....   Bell Street
Yarra Glen Yarra Glen, Victoria Yarra Glen is a town in Victoria, Australia, 40 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges... , Eltham Eltham, Victoria Eltham is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Nillumbik. At the 2006 Census, Eltham had a population of 17,581....   Bell Street			continues as
YARRA VALLEY TOURIST Yarra Valley Tourist Railway The Yarra Valley Railway is a tourist railway operating on a section of the former Healesville railway which operated between Lilydale and Healesville in the Yarra Valley area northeast of Melbourne, Australia.- History :...  RAIL LINE			YARRA VALLEY TOURIST Yarra Valley Tourist Railway The Yarra Valley Railway is a tourist railway operating on a section of the former Healesville railway which operated between Lilydale and Healesville in the Yarra Valley area northeast of Melbourne, Australia.- History :...  RAIL LINE
YARRA RIVER Yarra River The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...	57.5	53.5	YARRA RIVER Yarra River The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
Start Melba Highway	65	47	End Melba Highway
Traffic Lights (clockwise from highway) Maroondah Highway Maroondah Highway Maroondah Highway , is a major east-west thoroughfare in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and a highway servicing the lower alpine region Victoria, Australia.-History:... to Healesville Healesville, Victoria Healesville is a town in Victoria, Australia, 52 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges...  and Alexandra Alexandra, Victoria Alexandra is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located at the junction of the Goulburn Valley Highway and Maroondah Highway , 26 kilometres west of Eildon, in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area... Maroondah Highway Maroondah Highway Maroondah Highway , is a major east-west thoroughfare in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and a highway servicing the lower alpine region Victoria, Australia.-History:... to Lilydale Lilydale, Victoria Lilydale is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 35 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district situated in the Olinda Creek valley. At the 2006 Census, Lilydale had a population of 13,887...  and Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...