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Heritage House

Rossi

Australia

Australian heritage boots

Why it belongs in ORBIS

Rossi began in 1910 when Arthur Rossiter left the Adelaide Boot Company to start his own operation in Kilburn, South Australia. Four generations followed, making work, station, and lifestyle boots from Australian leather and supplying the Australian Army during the Second World War.

Rossi began in 1910 when Arthur Rossiter, a former Adelaide Boot Company supervisor, resigned to start his own operation in a tin shed behind his house. By building a factory that same year, he established what would become an institution: four generations of family bootmaking in Kilburn, South Australia. During World War II, Rossi supplied hundreds of thousands of boots to the Australian Army, with production peaking at around 500 employees. The bootmaker's founding advantage was clear—Adelaide's thriving sheep and cattle industry meant access to high-grade yearling and kangaroo leather without the prohibitive costs of overseas supply. Today, Rossi continues making a diversified range including lifestyle boots (Colt, Booma, Endura, Spinifex models), work boots with slip-resistant and heat-rated soles, and certified safety boots under the IronLite range. Wide-fit and junior options extend the range.