Kelver Hartley's family moved from South Australia to Sydney when he was still a child. He attended Sydney Boys' High School, and later graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts with a French major. He went on to complete a Master of Arts, and his outstanding results won him a French Government Travelling Scholarship. He subsequently worked on a PhD in Paris which examined French influences on the work of Oscar Wilde.
After returning to Australia with his doctorate, he taught at high schools around New South Wales for more than twenty years. In 1955, he became Senior Lecturer in French at Newcastle University College, and was appointed Associate Professor in 1961, with a growing reputation for his expertise in Franco-Italian and Franco-Spanish literature.
When Newcastle University College became the autonomous University of Newcastle in 1965, Hartley became Foundation Professor of French, taking the inaugural Chair from 1965 until his retirement in 1969. After his retirement, Hartley became the university's first Emeritus Professor, and donated his considerable personal library to the Auchmuty Library .
In the final years of his life, Hartley wrote fiction and lived frugally, despite having a considerable share portfolio. On his death, Hartley bequeathed the University of Newcastle an amount of $2 million. The fund began the Hartley Bequest Program, which enables Australian students to study in France. The Program also sponsors The Kelveriana Series which publishes works by Hartley and other works related to his career and interests.
