About us

Our History

Founded by Sid Smith in 1944 as Hunter River Motor Parts in Maitland NSW Australia, the company retailed in automotive spare parts and continued to do so into the early eighties. Prior to this in the sixties the company started to diversify by selling power tools, welders, air compressors, workshop equipment, hand tools and accessories. By this time the company had also acquired several agencies for chainsaws.

In 1963 the company became a dealer for Pioneer chainsaws, an entity of the American OMC conglomerate ( Outboard Marine Company ) and started to sell its range of chainsaws, the foundation of the company as it is today. In 1979 we became a dealer for the Swedish company Husqvarna.

As market trends changed and the automotive sector started to wholesale to supermarkets, the need to consolidate became necessary. The decision came to focus on outdoor power equipment. Through a major renovation process, the store was transformed into a modern retail facility to accommodate the demands of retail selling, both then and into the future.

Support Small Local Business

The showroom is now of a world-class standard. Bright, clean, and bursting with an enormous range of outdoor products to cater for every consumer’s needs. That is flexible enough to change with market trends whilst still maintaining the traits of the business that have carried it so far.

In 1999 the name changed to Hunter Outdoor Equipment, as the previous name was not applicable to the types of products that we now sell, and is managed by Doug and Gavin Smith. From depressions to floods, recessions and radical market trends, not only has Hunter Outdoor Equipment survived, but flourished in a business world where many come and go but few stay for the long haul.