ELPHINSTONE: A CORNERSTONE OEM

BUILT ON A PASSION FOR MINING, IT'S NO SURPRISE ELPHINSTONE HAS BEEN LEADING THE WAY IN MACHINERY INNOVATION FOR ALMOST HALF A CENTURY.

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Elphinstone has become a name synonymous with the mining industry, manufacturing specialised equipment for underground and surface sectors for 50 years.

From underground mining support vehicles to off-highway extended-distance haul trucks and mine extraction equipment, the company is also a well-established Caterpillar (Cat) OEM Solutions customer.

With 11 companies now under the Elphinstone Group banner throughout Asia Pacific, the brand continues to strengthen its capabilities and expand its presence across multiple heavy-industry sectors.

A passion for mining

While founded in 1975, the company name has featured in the industry as early as the 1960s, with founder Dale Elphinstone's professional journey starting in 1966 at the age of just 15 – becoming an apprentice for Victorian and Tasmanian Cat dealer, William Adams.

After completing his trade qualifications, Dale's employment began as a field service mechanic across Tasmanian and King Island mine sites.

Two years later, he travelled overseas and commenced work with Canadian Cat dealer, Finning, in 1973.

It was in 1975 - when Dale was modifying Cat surface mining equipment for underground mining applications out of his father's shed on their farm in Burnie, Tasmania – that Dale B Elphinstone Pty Ltd was established.

The opening of a humble head office on Hopkinson Street, Burnie, and the sale of the company's first underground machine, the Elphinstone 79C (a modified Caterpillar 769C), soon followed in 1976 and 1977, respectively, with innovation quickly expanding beyond what anyone could've expected.