The Pivot City is the original name of the township now called Geelong.

The original name of Pivot City came from the a special turn table that was constructed to turn a 300,000 pound steam train around ( because steam trains back in 1800’s didn’t go backwards ) so they could return back to Melbourne full of equipment that arrived from the Tall Ships that sailed in Corio Bay.

This turn table was called a PIVOT TURN TABLE, and with 4 Clydesdale horses tethered to turn the pivot table to turn the trains around, it was a site to be seen

The PIVOT name become iconic to our town, and even today locals called this Geelong, Pivot : even the Geelong Football Club membership is called the Pivotonians 

From 1820 to 1880, Pivot City was a booming satellite town with the tall sailing ships from England arrived, sometimes daily, coming into Corio Bay (because of our natural deep bay) to be unloaded at Cunningham Pier.

Cunninham Pier was vital to Pivot City’s existence, the booming wool trade, and the gold form Ballarat and Bendigo was all loaded back on the tall ships to head back to England and the UK making Pivot City a vital corridor for all trade in the 1800’s.

It wasn’t until mid 1800’s the town was officially named to Geelong : from the local aboriginal name “Jillong”: meaning land of “hills and plains”. But the locals kept calling the new town of Geelong, Pivot City .

Pivot City ( or Geelong ) is a beautiful town with city to surf only minuets drive apart.

We have access to the bay, and to the ocean, country landscape to forests, and to the Great Ocean Road, and because of our easy life, a lot of people made Geelong home : and a lot of famous people who started other iconic businesses like

• RipCurl
• Quicksilver
• Pivot Fertilizer
• Faggs Mitre 10
• Home of James Harrison (inventor of the common day refrigerator)
• Home of David Warren (inventor of the Black Box)
• and Pivot Stove

As for Pivot Stove, we originated back in 1876 when our founder James Alexander Parker, moved from Glenferry Road, Malvern, to set up shop at Moorabool Street address, where he proceeded to manufacture the 1st Australian made slow combustion wood stove, The Pivot Stove.

Naming the business after his new home town : Pivot Stove was born, and in our Moorabool Street showroom ( still at the same location ) you can still see one of the 1st ever Pivot Stoves we made.

John Parker, a bricklayer from Kent in England arrived in Port Phillip with his family on board the Grand Trianon in 1857.

John moved to Melbourne Victoria and purchased a building in Glenferry Road, Malvern and set up Parker & Co

Parker & Co retail showroom supplied cast iron fires and cookers imported from England.

James Alexander Parker (son of John Parker) and wife Eliza moved to Geelong and formed Pivot Stove Co, Australia’s first manufacturer of Wood Stoves

The location James founded Pivot Stove Co, at 238 Moorabool Street Geelong, is the very same building that Pivot Stove still trades in today

James also went on to design and manufacture the 1st Australian built Wood Stove with incorporated water heating.

The Pivot Stove was Australia’s 1st designed and manufactured Slow Combustion Wood Stove, and from this, Australia’s Wood Stove industry was founded.

Brands like, The Carmichael Wood Stove, IXL Wood Stove, LUX Wood Stove; all these were created by the work James Parker did.

Charles Parker (son of James Alexander Parker) and wife Margarite continued manufacturing The Pivot Stove up to 1930.

Charles Parker expanded Pivot’s steel works for local constructions including the St Marys Church’s (Geelong) stunning fence – that is still there today!

Towards the end of the 1st world war, Charles closed down the steel works and manufacturing of the Pivot Stove due to the struggle to get raw materials post war, and focused the business in supply and installation of Brickett heaters as well as Wood stoves.

John Parker had a passion in seeing start up new ventures and was an adjudicator at the 1st ever draw of Australia’s Tattslotto

Lindsay Charles Parker (son of Charles) and Wife Joy took over and introduce the latest Oil Heaters including the Vulcan Burwood Oil Heater.

Joy passed away in 1964 from a long suffering illness of MS. Lindsay eventually remarried to Margery in the early 1970’s.

The Passing of Joy left a passion for Lindsay for local charities and raised many thousands of dollars to support the MS Society.

Lindsay was also instrumental in the business community in Geelong and supported local commerce through his involvement of the Geelong local community and Church groups.

Lindsay’s daughter, Merril married Peter Hill, who became an integral part of Pivot Stove.

Peter became the service manager for Pivot and managed along side Lindsay the retail store up to 1985 when Lindsay retired

Merril Parker (daughter of Lindsay) and husband Peter Hill married and joined surnames to Parker-Hill to keep Pivot in the same family name – Parker.

Merril and Peter continued with Pivot’s philosophy of being leaders in the heating industry and was one of the first Australian companies to introduce the early Gas Log Fires

With the Wood Heater boom in the early 1990’s, and the introduction of the latest in Gas Log fires, Pivot outgrow their showroom in Moorabool Street – and because of this growth, Merril and Peter moved the family home from out the back of 230 Moorabool Street and expanded the retail showroom to be one of the largest displays of the new style gas log fires.

Merril and Peter also continued Lindsay Parker’s legacy of being involved in community by supporting local charities and continued the belief of supporting local.

Greg Parker-Hill (son of Merril) and his wife Tammie took over Pivot Stove in 2006

Growing up at the house at the back of the Moorabool street, from very early days, Greg worked with his father learning to service oil heaters, and eventually did a plumbing apprenticeship and worked installing , servicing and re-building wood heaters and cookers for over 20 years.

– In 2006, Greg, and his wife Tammie, took over Pivot Stove and Greg looked world wide to find products that would take Pivot to being a true leader in the heating industry

Pacific Energy: Canadian made heaters that are made to work in the harshest of conditions and have the latest in efficiency and low emissions

Pyroclassic: NZ made, Pyroclassic are known for having a low environmental impact

Yunca: For homes that live off the grid, these can also heat your water and are one of New Zealand’s most loved wood heaters

– In 2008, Pivot expanded to a second into Melbourne with a 1,000m2 showroom

– In 2011, Pivot’s wholesale moved into their first offsite warehouse, and outgrew this in 2016 where Pivot moved to 120 Victoria Street, Nth Geelong. This 5,000m2 building hosts our wholesale division and administration

To assist promoting and supporting not just our customers, but our Australian Wide Dealer Network, Pivot regularly attends Home Shows and Field Day events right across Australia

Pivot now employ’s over 18 people and an additional 20+ offsite contractors rely on Pivot Stove & Heating

Greg and his wife Tammie continue to be heavily involved in local business and support the BUY LOCAL campaigns throughout Australia