Yes, the traditional galvanised rotary clothesline is still available. That icon of the Aussie backyard is still being manufactured and can still be purchased at clothes line retailers, although it’s not as popular these days as it was in its heyday.

"People’s needs for their outdoor spaces are changing," says clothes line retailer Neil. "The trend now is for smaller yards and people are landscaping their outdoor spaces to meet their needs, rather than just plonking a clothes line in the middle of the yard to dominate the space."

So if that’s the case, what models and makes of clothes lines are people opting for these days? If you like the idea of the old traditional rotary hoist but want some in-built flexibility, you could go for the lift-out variety of rotary clothes line.

In this model, the frame folds up and can be lifted out of the ground. Another popular model is the fold-down style of clothes line which can be mounted onto a brick wall, up against a fence, or along a garden edge (concreted into the ground on posts). It folds down out of harm’s way like a tilting garage door.

Then there is the retractable or extendable model: the small cabinet that fits onto a wall or post, from which lines run out to a bar set onto another post or on another wall. This has the advantage of making the lines disappear back into the cabinet when you want the yard to be clear for more enjoyable pursuits.

The last common variety is a clothes line shaped like the traditional rotary except for the fact that the frame overhead is rectangular, which allows it to be tucked into odd corners and down the side of the house. This model winds up and down but doesn’t rotate.

Most of the models come in a small number of colours, mainly neutral tones like green, grey and beige. "They’re designed to blend into the landscape of the yard as much as possible," says Neil.

Neil advises that when landscaping your outdoor spaces you keep in mind a space for the clothes line, rather than going through the whole landscaping process, from design through to construction, and then discovering that you don’t have space for a clothes line.

"We often find that the clothes line is chosen to fit the space that’s left after the landscaping and the shed and the pool have gone in," he says. "This might mean that you end up with a smaller line than you need, or none at all."