Kiwi 1910-1919

Kiwi Shoe Polish was not the first boot polish on the market but, what differentiated it, was that it also preserved and restored the colour of leather and made shoe ware water resistant. Ramsay began marketing his product in Melbourne. He would load boxes of his polish on his horse and wagon and hawk it to the ranchers in the surrounding countryside. So successful was KIWI, that its popularity spread throughout Australia, based solely on its superior performance.

By 1908, Ramsay began to export to New Zealand and Europe, especially to Britain. As leather shoes and boots became more affordable to the masses, the demand for a product that could polish them quickly, efficiently and easily grew.

On June 29th 1908, KIWI produced the famous Dark Tan. This product was the first stain polish with the ability to restore, maintain or even alter the colour of leather. Light Tan, Brown, Ox Blood, Black and a patent leather polish quickly followed. People began to appreciate the qualities of KIWI for saddles and leather goods other than footwear and sales began to rise.

In 1912, William Ramsay’s father, John Ramsay, arrived by clipper in Southampton. Business in England commenced with a staff of three. William followed in 1913 to explore the potential of the European market. Sales grew dramatically and KIWI began to sell in all states of the Commonwealth. Within three years of the introduction of stain polish, KIWI was a leading Australian brand.

Sadly, having just begun to taste the fruits of success, William Ramsay died in 1914 shortly after his return to Australia at the age of 47. 
He never got to fully appreciate just how successful his formula for KIWI shoe polish was going to be.

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