The brand-name is taken from kia ora, a Maori Language greeting which has entered New Zealand. The first Kia-Ora was lemon sold by Arthur Gasquoine in Australia in 1903. The brand was bought by the Dixon family in the same year; the first factory was established by Roland Dixon in Melbourne. The original factory chimney still exists and is now a heritage-listed building. The first bottle off the production line is still in the hands of the Dixon family, as is the original recipe for Chilli Cordial, one of the first flavours launched, alongside orange and lemon. Kia-Ora was launched in Great Britain in 1917 in orange and lemon flavours.

The success of Kia-Ora caused the Dixon family to expand the range of its drinks with other flavours: orange mixed fruit, raspberry, and pear are examples of the expanding range. No-added-sugar variants were also created. Kia-Ora prospered throughout the 20th century. The World affected the brand only slightly in terms of production. The brand remained popular amongst children aged 3-10 in Australia and in the United Kingdom. From 1953, Kia-Ora was advertising with full-colour posters.