The City of Collingwood was known as the boot manufacturing capital of Australia in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Many of the former factories can still be seen, and now the last of the old style boot factories has left the area. At the end of 2008 Harold Boot Company left 205 Gipps St Abbotsford to move to 170 Perry St Fairfield in the process of "downsizing". Ian Harold, whose grandfather Frederick built the factory in 1921, sold the building and planned to retire at the end of 2008 after 54 years in the trade. The business was sold to Ken and Carol Watkin in 1988 but Ian continued in charge of production (The Age 17 June 2008). Some of the old machinery would move to Fairfield, some was sold off. 

The website www.haroldboot.com.au outlines a long family history of bootmaking in England before Frederick was sent out to Australia in 1912 to set up business here. In addition it displays the current range of high quality boots.

An article in the Age (28 Sept 08) notes that at its peak, in the 1950s and '60s, the factory was turning out 1000 pairs of boots a day and employing about 100 people. "In the last 25 years that's come down to 40 or 50 pairs a day. . .with half a dozen people working on the floor," according to Ian Harold.

The factory featured in a short film about Collingwood histroy made in by the Ministry of Education in 1987. It is available on videocassette at the Collingwood branch of Yarra Libraries.

Matthew Churchward of Melbourne Museum visited the Abbotsford factory in its last days in October and collected some samples of partially completed products and some trade literature. He also took a lot of photographs to document the interior of the factory and various machines. He indicated an interest in the brass screwing machines and has asked Ken to contact the Museum if he decides in future to dispose of them.