Windback Wednesday - Hills Hoist

Did you know the birthplace of the Hills Hoist clothesline is Glenunga?

Lancelot Leonard Hill (1902 - 1986) was born in Knoxville, South Australia, which later became part of Glenside and Glenunga in the 1910s. At age 14, Lance joined the staff of the Hill family's bacon factory and meat cannery, where he gained skills in general engineering. In October 1939, he married Cynthia Langman and moved to Glenunga.

The story goes that in 1945, Cynthia complained to Lance that there was not enough room to hang out the washing on their backyard's single-wire clothesline. Using an old pipe and a welder, Lance created a clothesline that took up less space and could be raised and lowered with ease. Family and friends admired the innovation and placed orders, which led Lance to decide to make a living by making hoists. By the time of Lance’s passing, over one million Hills Hoist had been sold.

Photograph: Leonard Hill with a Hills Hoist circa 1950s. Courtesy of Hills.