Latest update:01 March 2026, 2:00 PM IST

Dockyard Road railway station was originally called Dockyard Roads, after the estranged wife of Leslie Orme Wilson, Governor of the Bombay Presidency.

The governor was removed from his position and died alone. (Image source: Instagram)

Dockyard Road is a railway station located on the Harbor Line in Mumbai, and many believe that it got its name due to the presence of a dock nearby. While the pier played a role, the name of the station has a surprising history. The station was originally called Djurkird Rhodes, after the estranged wife of Leslie Orme Wilson, Governor of the Bombay Presidency. During that period, people did not see the governor’s wife for two years and suspected something tragic had happened.

In fact, she quietly returned to Sweden after breaking up with Wilson, with whom she was having a secret affair. Feeling guilty and wanting to honor her, Wilson named the station after her maiden name, making it the first railway station in the world named after a woman. Rhodes later lived in Sweden, where she was rumored to have an affair with a prince, which led to the station being renamed Dockyard Road. The governor was removed from office and died alone, leaving behind only this extraordinary memorial.

The first railway station named after a woman

Sharing interesting details about the station, one of the content creators explained, “The crazy backstory of Mumbai’s Dockyard Road railway station will shock you. The station was opened in 1925, but at that time it was called Djurkyard Rhodes Station, after the estranged wife of the Governor of Bombay Presidency, Leslie Orme Wilson. No one saw the Governor’s wife for two years and just assumed he had killed her. However, this was not murder, but something much worse than separation at that time, which was unknown about His affair and she quietly returned to Sweden.

“In his guilt and in her honor, he named the railway station after her maiden name, Djorkerd Rhodes, making it the first railway station in the world to be named after a woman. Djorkerd returned to Sweden, where she was rumored to have had a long-term affair with a prince. After independence, this name was changed to Dockyard Road because of the nearby pier. The governor was removed from office and died alone, leaving only a railway station named after his estranged wife in a foreign country. The Creator added.

The video posted on Instagram came with the caption: “The history of the city of Mumbai is very fascinating. Mumbai is a city where people live and stay. They go about their day and have a good time. Cities have a history and as Mumbai is a city, Mumbai has a history. And the history of this station, is that it got its name from a 100-year-old relationship between two people from European countries. How intertwined and truly amazing is the history of humanity.”

According to the Asian era, Dockyard Road Station is more than just a railway station. Nearby is Bhandarwada Hill, which includes a park named after Joseph Baptista, a local leader and former Mayor of Bombay. The park has ancient trees and large lawns, making it a peaceful place in the busy city.

Local people use the park in different ways. Couples relax in the gazebos, students study and some visitors go jogging. That’s not all, from certain points in the park, visitors can see Mumbai’s three major transportation systems, roads, ships in the port and railway tracks.

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