Sir George Phipps, the Earl of Mulgrave in the Peerage of Great Britain, served as the Governor of Victoria from 1879 to 1884.

[citation needed] The first settler in Mulgrave parish (a division of the County of Bourke, which covers the Melbourne urban area) was Thomas Napier, in 1839.

Remains of some homesteads were uncovered during the construction of the EastLink Tollway, temporarily halting work while they were archaeologically examined.

Mulgrave is one of the few Melbourne suburbs split into two distinct areas, with each sharing the common name but not prefixing it with 'East' or 'West'.

The Jacksons Road Interchange is a VicRoads timing point for traffic travelling to/from the city.

Other major points of interest in Mulgrave are the Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre, the Village Green Hotel on the south-west corner of Springvale and Ferntree Gully Roads, the Sunday Mulgrave Farmers' Market on the corner of Jacksons and Wellington Roads, and the former Waverley Park AFL/VFL football ground, now a redeveloped housing estate.

Metropolitan buses run through this area as well as two popular SmartBus routes and the original hourly services.

[7] Mazenod College is located in Mulgrave, and offers a number of sporting clubs through its Old Collegians' Association, which is open to members of the community as well as current and former students.