Oliver

Tradition & History

A proud tradition, founded in 1887

Oliver Footwear, Australia’s leading Safety Footwear Manufacturer owes its origins to gold mining in the Victorian provincial city of Ballarat.

Our founder James Oliver, a boot-maker by trade, came to the goldfields of Ballarat, then amongst the richest alluvial and underground mining fields in the world, in the mid 1800’s. His quest for the elusive nuggets was unsuccessful, so he returned to the trade of boot-making which he had learned in the U.K. Established as the business of Oliver & Stevens, the new venture commenced producing tough and durable boots for miners and farmers in 1887.

The same entrepreneurial streak which marked the establishment of the business in 1887 continues today with Oliver Footwear building on its commitment to manufacture quality footwear. Product research and development to address the needs and demands of tough workplace safety environments will  always be a central part of our company philosophy.

Oliver is now part of Honeywell Industrial Safety which offers not just the world’s most comprehensive lines of Personal Protective Solutions but the most respected brands that make workers embrace safety on their own.

OUR History

  • 1887 Oliver Boots’ first store opens in Ballarat, Victoria Australia
  • 1979 Oliver moves into brand new state of the art facility in Prest St, Ballarat to give space to ever growing demand
  • 1985 Oliver introduces the Desma DDPU injection technology to the site for polyurethane soling to meet demand for new lightweight soling technologies
  • 1995 New warehouse expansion at Prest St to keep up with ongoing orders to expanding distribution network
  • 1999 Oliver diversify their product offering by introducing Dual Density Rubber injection machinery suitable to produce Fire Fighting Boots and Defence footwear
  • 2010 Oliver join forces and expands into wider APAC region with Asian industry frontrunner Kings Safety Footwear
  • 2011 Oliver and Kings are acquired by International safety products leader Honeywell, giving wider reach into the US market and Europe
  • 2017 Oliver by Honeywell can now be found worldwide through a network of premium distribution channels specialising in PPE and safety footwear
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