Kiwi (people)

Kiwis is the nickname used internationally for people from New Zealand. Curiously enough, they are named after Kiwi shoe polish and only indirectly after the flightless bird native to New Zealand.

The polish is reputed to have been named to honour the country of birth of Annie Meek of Timaru New Zealand who married Australian William Ramsay when he was living in New Zealand. They moved to Melbourne in 1910 where Ramsay developed his boot polish, calling it Kiwi and featuring on the lid an illustration of a kiwi as the trademark.

In World War 1 the British Army ordered tons of polish to be used by the soldiers on their boots, belts, saddles and other horse tack, and New Zealand troops began to be called Kiwis. The polish was popular and postwar enjoyed growing sales worldwide.

Kiwi polish was even more widely used in World War II and the nickname Kiwis for New Zealand servicemen became common usage in all war theatres. Following the war it was gradually attributed to all New Zealanders and today, throughout the world New Zealanders are referred to as Kiwis.