Hills Home Living

What Hills Home Living does

Hills Home Living is an Australian consumer hardware brand operating under Ames Australasia Pty Ltd, designing and supplying clotheslines, indoor laundry products, and garden watering equipment for household use. Founded in 1945 by Lancelot (Lance) Leonard Hill after returning from WWII, and formally established in 1946 with co-founder Harold Ling, the company is headquartered in Doncaster, Victoria. Its core products span rotary clotheslines (the iconic Hills Hoist), folding frame, retractable, and portable clotheslines, clothes airers, ironing boards and covers, laundry baskets, trolleys, garden hoses, sprayers, and watering accessories. The brand is now extending into broader home organization with product launches including portable garment racks, shoe racks, and indoor drying cabinets.

The company's product technology centres on galvanised steel construction, UV-resistant materials designed for harsh Australian conditions, and COLORBOND® color-matched finishes (Woodland Grey®, Dune®, Monument®, Surfmist®) licensed through a partnership with Bluescope Steel. Notable technical claims include 100kg weight capacity on rotary clotheslines, up to 60+ metres of drying space on 9-line models, and space-saving mechanisms including wall-mounted folding cabinets requiring only 50cm clearance. Products are backed by lifetime warranties on clotheslines and 3-year warranties on indoor products. The company sells primarily through Bunnings Warehouse, Mitre 10, and Independent Hardware Stores across Australia, with a secondary direct e-commerce channel and a dedicated spare parts portal. Customer segments include Australian homeowners, apartment/townhouse residents, caravan and holiday home owners, and large families, with the brand leveraging 80 years of Australian heritage, including the Hills Hoist's cultural recognition, as a key purchase driver.

Name

Hills Home Living

Legal name

Ames Australasia Pty Ltd

Website

https://hillshome.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Hills Home Living is an Australian consumer hardware brand (under Ames Australasia) that designs and supplies clotheslines, indoor laundry products, and garden watering equipment, distributed primarily through Bunnings and Independent Hardware Stores to Australian homeowners, apartment dwellers, and caravan owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Doncaster

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Consumer Hardware Products: Sale of physical home and garden products including clotheslines, airers, ironing boards, laundry baskets, trolleys, hoses, and accessories. One-time purchase model through retail and e-commerce channels.
2. Commercial/Trade Products: Products targeting trade professionals including Trade Trusted Garden Hose range with heavier duty specifications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hills Home Living designs and manufactures clotheslines, indoor laundry products (clothes airers, ironing boards, laundry baskets, trolleys), and garden watering equipment (hoses, sprayers, accessories) for Australian households. The portfolio spans the iconic Hills Hoist rotary clothesline, folding frame, retractable, and portable clotheslines, delivering time-tested durability via galvanised steel construction and space-saving innovations for modern urban living.

Product overview

Hills Home Living, a brand under Ames Australasia Pty Ltd established in 1945, offers an extensive range of laundry and garden products designed for Australian households. The product portfolio centres around the iconic Hills Hoist rotary clothesline and spans four main categories: Clotheslines (including Hills Hoist rotary, Folding Frame, Retractable, and Portable models with accessories), Indoor Laundry solutions (Clothes Airers, Laundry Baskets and Storage, Ironing Boards with covers, and Laundry Trolleys), and Watering products (Garden Hoses, Sprayers, and Watering Accessories). The products are unified by their Australian-made heritage, durable galvanised steel or powder-coated construction, and design for harsh Australian conditions. Available through Bunnings and independent hardware retailers across Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hills Hoist Clotheslines Iconic rotary clothesline range featuring galvanised steel construction with 100kg weight capacity, available in 6, 7, 8, and 9 line configurations offering 35-60+ metres of drying space. Targeted at Australian homeowners with backyards seeking durable outdoor drying solutions.
• Folding Frame Clotheslines Space-saving wall-mounted clotheslines that fold away when not in use, including Compact, Mini, Single, Double, and Long Folding Frame models. Available in Woodland Grey, Dune, Monument, and Surfmist colours to match Australian home exteriors.
• Retractable Clotheslines Wall-mounted clotheslines with retractable lines available in 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 line options with various load capacities up to 70kg. Backed by Hills Lifetime Warranty and suited to apartments and homes with limited outdoor space.
• Portable Clotheslines Freestanding collapsible clotheslines with 17-21m drying capacity, lightweight and manoeuvrable for indoor/outdoor use, caravans, and camping. Targeted at caravan owners and travelers needing portable laundry solutions.
• Clothes Airers Indoor drying racks available in multiple formats: Tiered Airers (2-3 tier), Tower Airers, Winged Airers with extendable wings, and Space Savers including Concertina and Over Door models. Drying capacity ranges from 8m to 35m for indoor laundry needs.
• Laundry Baskets and Storage Aluminium laundry baskets (105L capacity), 3 Tier Storage Carts, and Portable Garment Racks with premium locking wheels for laundry organisation. Designed for indoor laundry storage and garment management.
• Ironing Boards Ironing boards in Traditional (Medium, Large, Premium XL sizes) and Compact solutions including Tabletop boards and All Surface Ironing Mats. Features include adjustable height, retractable iron rests, and easy-glide wheels. Sold via Bunnings, Mitre 10, and independent hardware stores.
• Laundry Trolleys Premium and Classic laundry trolleys with collapsing frames, smooth-glide wheels, and 3-year warranty. Designed to fit most laundry baskets for transporting laundry loads.
• Garden Hoses Premium garden hoses in 12mm and 18mm diameters, ranging from 15m to 30m lengths. Includes Retractable Hose Reel, Backyard, Iconic, Soaker, and Trade Trusted hose ranges. UV-resistant materials designed for harsh Australian conditions, including the Trade Trusted range targeted at trade professionals.
• Garden Sprayers Sprayers ranging from 500ml hand spray bottles to 16L heavy-duty knapsack models. Includes Trigger Sprayers, Pressure Sprayers, Heavy Duty sprayers with Viton seals, Knapsack Sprayers, and a 6L Rechargeable Battery Sprayer. Designed for watering, cleaning, and pesticide/fertiliser application.
• Wall Mounted Indoor Drying Rack Sleek fold-away cabinet drying rack with 7-8m drying space across 8 rods. Available in White, Black, and Ivory. Requires only 50cm wall clearance, features integrated sock hangers for 10 pairs, and is backed by a 3-year warranty.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100kg weight capacity on Hills Hoist rotary clotheslines
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• PlantfulnessminorOthersHills is a proud supporter of Plantfulness, a non-profit organization providing time, resources and knowledge to help those in need enjoy the health benefits of gardening. This is a charitable/community partnership supporting mental health and wellbeing through gardening.
• Melbourne MavericksminorOthersHills is a proud sponsor of the Melbourne Mavericks sports team. This is a sports sponsorship partnership providing brand visibility and community engagement.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Brabantia: Brabantia is a Netherlands-based home goods brand offering laundry baskets, ironing boards, clothes airers, and drying solutions across global markets. Comparable to Hills' indoor laundry portfolio with overlapping product categories and premium positioning, though broader in scope.
• Fiskars: Fiskars is a Finnish global brand in gardening tools, watering, and outdoor living products. Comparable to Hills' garden watering range with broader garden tools portfolio, premium positioning, and significant global retail distribution.
• Hozelock: Hozelock is a UK-based specialist in garden watering — hoses, sprayers, connectors, and sprinklers. Directly comparable to Hills' garden watering category with overlapping product lines in residential garden watering equipment.
• Vileda: Vileda is a German household cleaning brand offering laundry care, drying products, and cleaning tools. Compares to Hills' indoor laundry portfolio, particularly around laundry accessories and indoor drying, with broader cleaning product focus.
• Leifheit: Leifheit is a German household brand specializing in laundry care (drying racks, ironing boards) and cleaning. Compares to Hills' indoor laundry category with similar space-saving airer designs and European retail presence, though broader in home cleaning.

Direct peers

• Nylex: Nylex is an Australian manufacturer of garden hoses, watering products, and plastic consumer goods. Direct competitor to Hills in the Australian garden watering category, sharing similar Bunnings distribution channels and target customers.
• Minky Homecare: Minky is a UK laundry brand specializing in clothes airers, indoor drying racks, ironing boards, and laundry accessories. Directly comparable to Hills' indoor laundry range, with overlapping retractable airer and tiered drying products targeting similar apartment-dwelling customers.
• Pope Products: Pope is an Australian garden watering and irrigation brand offering hoses, sprinklers, and fittings. Direct competitor to Hills in the garden watering category, sharing similar retail distribution through Australian hardware chains.
• Austral Clothes Hoists: Austral is a long-standing Australian manufacturer of rotary and folding clotheslines, directly competing with Hills Hoist in the same retail channels. Both brands target the same Australian homeowner segment with similar galvanised-steel construction and lifetime warranty positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hills Home Living