Kiwi Boot Polish and ANZAC Pride.

Kiwi polish was first produced in 1908 by Melbourne business  partners  Hamilton McKellan and William Ramsay.  The name Kiwi was a tribute to Ramsay’s New Zealand born wife. For two reasons the product was a major improvement on the old boot blacking (remember Charles Dickens working in a London boot blacking factory as a child?).  Firstly, it could be made in dark tan, the colour of natural leather. Secondly, it contained wax,  providing a degree of waterproofing.

There was a huge boost in sales when WWI began, because our soldiers wore brown leather boots.  Tins of Kiwi polish were included in Red Cross comfort packages.

WWI Australian army Boots

As the troops trained in Cairo, the demand was so high among the men that crafty locals took advantage of the situation. Empty tins were collected and refilled, though sometimes all was not as it seemed;

‘They put a thin layer of Kiwi on top, and underneath blacklead and turpentine, and in some cases chocolate and red ink, and sold them as ‘Kiwi Polish’. One man bought five tins, costing five piastres each. You can imagine his feelings when he discovered what he had got. ‘Kiwi Polish ‘ is the only thing that makes out leather equipment look anything like is should.’ (Daily Telegraph, Apri 16 1915)’

Once the men became involved in trench warfare at Gallipoli and in  France the waterproofing quality of the polish became extremely important.

Back home, war  resulted in a shortage of tin plate;

Source – The Age, 21 July 1917

The shiny boots of the ANZACS were the perfect advertisement for Kiwi Boot Polish in England.

One soldier wrote in a letter home, ‘We swank along the streets when on leave, in what is termed a smart, soldierly manner, with shoulders squared, uniform smart and leggings and boots flashing with the shine of Kiwi polish...’ (Midlands Advertiser, Jan 12 1917)

Such was the  impression made on Londoners that it  lasted well beyond the armistice.

During the difficult years of the Great Depression the company made improvements that allowed  Kiwi  to maintain sales. Another factor was that worn out boots and shoes could be given new life, and charities gave tins to men looking for work.

An example of the enterprise of the Australian firm is their new tin, which is quickly and easily opened by means of a penny inserted in a slot on the lid. A good feature of this method of opening is that the tin remains absolutely airtight and the polish comes to the consumer as fresh as when it left the factory.  (The Herald, Sept 13 1929)

The photo below right is from the cover of a book by social historian  Keith Dunstan. It’s  called The Australian Brand That Brought A Shine To The World.

The penny in the slot was eventually replaced by the  small silver  lever we all know so well. Note that the Kiwi on this tin  is more stylised and has lost his feathers. Also, Boot Polish  has become Shoe Polish.

KIWI POLISH IN PEACE TIME

You can actually see the shine on the boots of these Australin soldiers marching through London during the coronation  of King George  VI in 1937.

AN EVER EXPANDING MARKET

In 1939, America bought 2,061 tins of Kiwi boot polish from Australia. This year over a million tins will be exported. U.S. troops took the habit back with them.   (Daily Telegraph, July 20 1947)

And in 1954;

Two world wars – and the roving instincts of Australians [in the years] between – have helped carry Kiwi Boot Polish into no less than 146 countries. The A.I. F’s arrival in Great Britain, with the famous slouch hat and emu feathers – and the shine of their boots and other accoutrements won much admiration. Since then – Kiwi factories have been introduced into many parts of the world, including England, U.S.A.,  Canada, France, New Zealand and Malaya.   (The Sun, May 8 1954)

A more recent innovation was to produce Kiwi liquid polish, released though a sponge in the plastic cap.. Trying to improve on perfection is never a good idea, and this is a good example. Take my word for it, if you are not careful it spurts everywhere.  😨

Apply with extreme care!

Here is an opening shot from a wonderful, WWI silent film made by the Kiwi Company.

The film shows an Aussie soldier handing tins of Kiwi boot polish to little boys in London. The youngsters replaced boot cleaners who were leaving their hotel jobs to sign up. There are three separate clips. CLICK HERE TO VIEW.