Hill's Hoists, the very picture of Australian kitsche since the mid-40s and are found in half of every backyard across the land. It looks like an umbrella skeleton with strong line woven between the tines. Easy to use: crank the arms down so you can reach the lines. Start pinning (pegging) up your clothes from the inside out-no need to let the neighbors see your holey underwear. Then crank it back up. The arms twirl like whirlygigs when there is a breeze which helps hasten drying of the clothes. It is also a great way to have fun when you are little by getting a running start, grab an arm and twirl around on your own momentum.
Of course, all this motion is no fun when a person is trying to put up or take down clothing, so there is a Breeze Brake to keep the contraption steady during this function.
This is a treasured icon of Australian life and lore. It fits the OZ sense of kitsche (kangaroos and koalas are cliche) and no movie about the 60s leaves one out. In fact, one motion picture production company has as it's logo a kid hanging from a Hill's Hoist. Oh, the childhood memories.
We don't have such a clothesline in our minuscule backyard. Ours is functional, flat and collapsible to the wall of the building. No swinging on that line. Shucks.
