The land had belonged to Alexander Sutherland who died in 1877, and was sold to Mace and Jackson and then a syndicate known as Melrose Proprietors.

Like James Coutts Crawford's subdivision of the Seatoun township on the Miramar Peninsula, there were few buyers because of difficult access.

Crawford's earlier auction of Kilbirnie sections in 1874 had attracted mainly speculators buying cheap land rather than would-be homeowners.

[3] The Melrose Borough was established in 1888 from the earlier Kilbirnie Road Board, to serve a horseshoe-shaped and largely rural area stretching from Upland Farm (later Kelburn) through Brooklyn and Island Bay and to areas later called Haitaitai and Roseneath.

Amalgamation with Wellington City would avoid large borough debt for amenities like drainage, water supply and a separate electric tramway system.

[5] In June 1902 a poll of Melrose residents agreed to join the Wellington City Council, and amalgamation proceeded in 1903.

Mt Albert is part of this reserve and includes biking and walking opportunities along the Southern walkway.

[12] There is an off-leash dog exercise area part way up Mt Albert and a specialised mountain biking track has been built in the reserve by local volunteers.