Hills Hoist

Posted on October 20, 2020 By Eva Robinson Home & Garden

About

One can’t talk about the Australian Dream without associating it with an iconic brand such as Hills Hoist. Famous for the height-adjustable rotary clothesline design that became the image of suburban Aussie life, it’s a brand that had its modest beginnings back in 1945.

Though there already existed various patented clotheslines within Australia at the time, including those like the Gilbert Toyne designs which served as the basis for the Hills icon, it was Lancelot (Lance) Hill and his knack for marketing and innovation that turned the clothesline into the symbol it still is to this day.

Wanting to provide his wife Sherry with a clothesline that would be more space-savvy, offering enough space to air dry clothes while at the same time be out of the way of overgrown yard trees, he simplified the Toyne design in his Adelaide workshop by substituting the handle with a lever, using scrap metal to create it. This revolutionised the airers, allowing them to be easily raised, lowered and spun for maximum drying, so it’s no surprise the brand turned into a post-war success.

Even though the interest for this iconic product has waned throughout the 2000s, mostly because the homes became somewhat smaller than before, with the areas more densely populated, the brand’s investment in innovation made the public grow to love the products once more.

This being said, despite the fact the typical Aussie backyard from decades ago started disappearing, you can now buy hills hoist clothesline made for any kind of space available from trusted distributors and retailers. Taking this pick you know you’ve made the right choice as it’s good both for the environment and your wallet.

Products

The Rotary Clothesline Design

As the staple of the backyards, this timeless design continues impressing with its features. Available in models of 6, 7, 8 lines, the only difference from its precursor is the fact it’s now made based on latest technology and innovation (e.g. the push-button mechanism and ergonomic winding handle), allowing people to fold it and store it when not in use.

The Double Clothesline Design

Created with big families in mind, this type of clothesline provides plenty of room for your laundry. You can buy hills hoist clothesline choosing from different colours, like Pebble Beach, Midnight Sky and Basalt, and accessories to customise based on your needs, such as waterproof cover for any drying year-round, and ground mount kit for a freestanding unit. With the two folding frames, you can count on plenty of line space for your laundry.

The Portable Clothesline Design

While they’re proud of their past, the company are also looking forward to the future, something they tend to express in their products. The portable clothesline is the perfect example, as it’s meant to be of use for any living situation. Not only ideal for the yard, but the garage or anywhere in and around the house, it offers a great deal of flexibility. Since it’s lightweight and user-friendly, you could even use it with your vacation home or caravan.

The Mobile Clothesline Design

If you don’t like any of the above and want more flexibility, you’re in for a treat with the brand’s tiered tower and extendable airers. There are also winged models that are suitable for indoor air drying.

Boards and Baskets

They’ve truly got you covered with your laundry needs considering they also produce eye-catching and sturdy baskets as well as retracting iron stands with silicone pads for safety.

Garden Supplies

Yes, besides the laundry, you can count on them as a brand that can be of help with your gardening needs too, especially when it comes to watering since they’ve got a wide range of sprayers and hoses you can choose from.

Ads & Video Commercials

Check out their videos on their YouTube channel of their most iconic product:

Check out some videos of the hills hoist clothes line inspiring people to have fun:

Interesting Facts & Events

Lance’s clever marketing, as he used in South Australian newspapers like Canberra Times and Sydney Morning Herald, beat competition of 17 hoists present on the market back in the mid-1940s.
The first hills clothesline design was worth twice the average weekly wage, costing £10.10 plus £1.50 for installation. Even so, demand was high with both expensive and suburban homes alike.
By 1948, the Hills company Lance created with his brother-in-law, Harold Ling, expanded to manufacture other laundry products too.
Although a product name, the term Hills Hoist turned into a synonym for clotheslines in general in the Land Down Under.
In 1959 the Hills company wanted to offer their Aussie yard staple as a gift to both the Queen and the Queen Mother during the three-week tour in the country, but Australian Governor-General disagreed with the idea.
In 1994 they celebrated selling the five millionth hoist and since then their hills clotheslines and other products are available at retailers all around Australia and the world.
As an emblem, the Hills Hoist was featured on the Adelaide Festival of Arts in 1996, as well as in the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
The National Museum of Australia displayed the Hills Hoist for quite some time.
In 2009, the iconic hoist was featured on a stamp by Australia Post.
In 2014, they won gold at the Good Design Awards for the world’s slimmest retracting clothesline.
Since 2015, the Hills products were sold under licence through the chain of Masters hardware.
Also this year, they celebrated the 70th anniversary of the company by setting a world record in sock drying.
In 2017, the Hills industries sold the company’s rights to manufacture and sale to the Griffon Corporation, specifically the subsidiary AMES Australasia, which upset some Australians like the television programme Sunrise.
Awarded as Australia’s Most Trusted Iconic Brand five years in a row.

Retailers & Online Stores

You can find the Hills Hoist products all over Australia and worldwide, but if you aren’t sure about the reliability of certain stores, check out the brand’s webpage for a list of distributors, and look for trustworthy retailers like lifestyleclotheslines.com.au.