Soft-solution route employing PVA(Polyvinyl Alcohol) as a polymeric carrier in a mixed metal cation solution was used for synthesis of single-phase nickel aluminate (NiA1$_2$O$_4$) powders. The PVA ensured the homogeneous distribution of metal ions in the solution and it resulted in the decrease of crystallization temperature. The synthesized powders prepared by PVA addition were soft and ball-milled easily. The ball-milled powders of about 300 nm in size were fully densified to density of 4.35 g/㎤ at 1600$^{circ}C$ for 1 h. The Vickers hardness, flexural strength, fracture toughness and thermal expansion coefficient of the sintered nickel aluminate were 14.2 ㎬, 304 ㎫, 4.8 ㎫$.$m$^$1/2/ and 9.8${ imes}$10$^$-6//$^{circ}C$, respectively.