the name may have come from a homestead built in the area in 1884 by captain james andrew, who had recently returned from duty in india and had been consul in baghdad. when the railway was laid through the area by the wellington and manawatu railway company, andrew is reported as insisting that the railway station be named "khandallah" with the "h" on the end of the name, and reportedly gave land for the khandallah station provided all trains stop there.