Melbourne Allotment Holders Association Ltd. is one of a small number of allotment sites in Britain which are member-owned. The association was founded after the First World War in 1919.

The original gardeners raised the £800 to buy the “Hilly Fields” site from Melbourne Estates in March 1921. Since then the organisation has been operated by the members for over 100 years, successfully offering cost effective allotments for generations of local people to enjoy the benefits of growing their own produce.