The original inhabitants of the area were the localRangitāne iwi, and was part of the Te-Ahu-a-Turanga block that was sold by Rangitāne in 1865.
European settlement
The first Europeans arrived in Kelvin Grove in 1871 when Scandinavian immigrants settled in the area around present day Roberts Line-James Line and Napier Road block. This area and also that of Whakarongo, became known as the Stoney Creek Scandinavian Block. At this time the area was mainly thick forest, which had to be felled in order for settlement. This was achieved by the mid-1870s. In 1893, Kelvin Grove School was established and Kelvin Grove as an entity of its own was established. Kelvin Grove was the name of the local sawmill. In 1901, Kelvin Grove Hall was built. In 1921, however, the hall burnt down and was not replaced until 1935. In 1939, Kelvin Grove School closed down, due to parents choosing other schools such as Milson or Terrace End.
Urban development
In 1950, part of Kelvin Grove was brought under the jurisdiction of Palmerston North City, but it was not until 1966 when houses began to appear especially in the Karamea Crescent and Mahia Place area. The mostly rural suburb has gradually expanded since then. Prior to 1996, Kelvin Grove was part of the Manawatu electorate. This electorate included parts of Palmerston North, east of Ruahine Street as well as Linton Camp, Turitea, Aokautere and Roslyn. However, due to the reformation of the electoral system from FPP to MMP, the electorate of Rangitikei's boundaries were redrawn to include Kelvin Grove. A 2007 boundary redistribution includes Kelvin Grove in the Palmerston North electorate. Several new homes were built in Kelvin Grove during the 2010s. A housing development in Kelvin Grove was one of the first to restart, following the coronavirus lockdown in 2020.
Cemetery
Kelvin Grove Cemetery is Palmerston North's main cemetery, performing about 180 burials and 400 cremations each year. It was opened in 1927 to replace the old Terrace End Cemetery on Napier Road, the crematorium and chapel were added in 1954, and a modern gas-fired cremator was installed in 2003. The cemetery allows flower garden tributes, unlike other cemeteries in the region. In 2018, a group of four roosters and three chickens were trapped at the cemetery and sent to slaughter, several years after they had been dumped there. he Palmerston North branch of the Returned Services' Association and soldiers from the Linton Military Camp reached an agreement with Palmerston North City Council in 2019 to clean the headstones of 1000 veterans buried at the cemetery. The association had to also seek permission from the veterans' families. Bronze plaques, bronze flower holders and a sundial were stolen from the cemetery in February 2020.
