Person

Hill, Lancelot Leonard (1902 - 1986)

Born: 15 December 1902
Knoxville, South Australia, Australia
Died: 7 March 1986
South Australia, Australia
Occupation: Inventor and Mechanical engineer

Summary

Lance Hill invented Australia's iconic Hill's Hoist - a rotary clothes line which was found in the backyard of most Australian homes from the 1950s. He came up with the invention after being urged by his wife to improve their own clothes line. Hill was soon transformed from an unemployed war veteran to the founder of very successful business. Today Hills Industries continues to make clothes lines, but also numerous other products including ironing boards, wheelbarrows, antennas, building and roofing products.

Published resources

Journal Articles

Howell, P. A., 'The genesis of an Australian icon: the Hills hoist', Journal of the Historical Society of South Australia, 35 (2007), 98-110. Details

Resources

CA 2002, 2 Echelon, Army Headquarters; CA 46, Department of Defence [III], Central Office, 'NAA: B883, SX25726', B883 Second Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1939-1947, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6388774. Details
'Hill, Lance', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-513346. Details

Annette Alafaci

Created: 18 September 2006, Last modified: 7 January 2026

EOAS ID: biogs/P004728b.htm

This Edition: 2026 February - 1926 Centenaries
Kooyang - Gariwerd calendar - Late summer: late January to late March - season of eels
Reference: https://www.bom.gov.au/resources/indigenous-weather-knowledge/indigenous-seasonal-calendars/gariwerd-calendar#bom-anchor-list__item-kooyang-season-of-eels

Publisher: Swinburne University of Technology.

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