Helen Porter Mitchell

Helen Porter Mitchell (Melba)

Helen Porter Mitchell was born in Richmond, Victoria in 1861. She moved to Queensland with her farther after finishing school in 1880. In 1882 she married Charles Nisbett Frederick Armstrong. Helen soon grew uninterested and left her family in 1884 for a singing career in Melbourne. She made her Melbourne debut as a singer that year and her European debut in Brussels in 1887. She made another two debuts in both Paris and London in 1889. Having taken a stage name for her home town of Melbourne, Melba was introduced to the upper classes performing for royalty in Europe. Melba had a careless affair with Phillipe, Duke of Orleans In 1890. Melba's husband finally divorced her in Texas in 1900.

Melba returned to Australia on a concert tour that resembled a royal tour in 1902, huge crowds were drawn to train stations. She returned to Australia twice for tours one in 1909 and another in 1911. Helen was active in promoting war bonds during World War I and supporting the Albert Street Conservatorium in Melbourne. Melba began a series of infamous ‘farewell’ concerts, when the phrase ‘doing a Melba’ was introduced to the language. Helen's last performance was a charity concert in London. On returning home to Australia she became very ill with a fever and only made it as far as St Vincent’s Hospital, where she died on the 23rd February 1931 of septicemia, which developed from facial surgery that she had undergone in Europe.

Melba was much loved in Australia and her funeral was as grand as a state funeral. She left a legacy of a few recorded performances, a glamorous image and a dessert named after her.