[1] William Ramsay and fellow Scottish expatriate in Australia, Hamilton McKellar, began making boot polish and other products in a small factory in Melbourne in 1904.

While a number of older leather preserving products existed, including the Irish brand "Punch", which was first made in 1851, and the German brand, "Erdal", which went on sale in 1901, Kiwi's introduction in 1906 made it the first shoe polish to resemble modern varieties, aimed primarily at inducing shine.

[3] Ramsay named it "Kiwi" after the flightless bird native to New Zealand, the home country of his wife, Annie Elizabeth Meek.

By the time Kiwi Dark Tan was released in 1908, it incorporated agents that added suppleness and water resistance.

Cobra was noted for a series of cartoon advertisements in The Sydney Bulletin, starting in 1909, using a character called "Chunder Loo of Akim Foo".

Since that ruling, Sara Lee has been prevented from acquiring any further assets or firms associated with chemical shoe care products in the United States without prior commission approval.

[9] The Competition Commission in the United Kingdom also investigated the potential monopoly of Sara Lee in the shoe care industry.

[10] On 4 April 2011, Sara Lee announced that it had completed its sale of its global shoe care business, in a majority of countries, to S. C.

As of 2013[update] Kiwi remained the predominant shoe polish brand in most of the world, being sold in over 180 countries and holding a 53% market share worldwide.