William Ramsay (6 June 1868 – 4 September 1914) was a Scottish-born Australian shoe polish manufacturer. In 1906, Ramsay developed "Kiwi" brand shoe polish, today one of the most famous shoe polish brands in the world.
Biography
Ramsay was born on 6 June 1868 in Glasgow, Scotland to Margaret Thomson and her husband, businessman John Ramsay. The family migrated to Melbourne in June 1878.[1] The family prospered in Victoria; Ramsay's father, John, was a die-sinker and engraver in Scotland, however he became a successful real estate broker in his adopted homeland. After he left school, Ramsay set up a successful real estate firm with his father.
After a trip to New Zealand, where he met and married Annie Elizabeth Meek in Oamaru on 2 January 1901, Ramsay established a factory in Carlton in partnership with Hamilton McKellar. From there, Ramsay & McKellar produced disinfectants, polishes, creams, and other products.
In 1904 the factory moved to Elizabeth Street, Melbourne. In 1906, they began producing a new shoe polish under the