Elphinstone Engineering Celebrates Tasmanian Export Awards Finalist Recognition
Fifty years after its beginnings in Tasmania’s forest industry, Elphinstone Engineering is celebrating the local skills behind equipment working across Antarctic ice and deep beneath Mongolia.
An Elphinstone cargo sled loaded with drums and equipment supports the Australian Antarctic Program’s transport operations, putting Tasmanian engineering to work on the ice.
Elphinstone Engineering’s recognition as a finalist in the 2026 Tasmanian Export Awards is a proud moment for the people who design, build and support its specialised equipment from Tasmania’s east coast.
Based in Triabunna, the business marks its 50th anniversary this year with a story that stretches well beyond the workshop doors. Its products help Antarctic expeditions move equipment across snow and ice, support underground mining operations and give transport operators accurate information about the loads they carry.
Solar panels and wind turbines support remote Antarctic observations, with Elphinstone’s sled providing a mobile foundation for the weather station.
Manufacturing Team
Behind every product are the skills of the manufacturing team: the people who turn an operational problem into a drawing, a collection of steel components and, ultimately, a working piece of equipment.
“Being recognised as a finalist is something our whole team can take pride in,” said founder and managing director Graeme Elphinstone.
“There is a lot of skill and care in the equipment that leaves our workshop. Our people understand that it may end up a very long way from help, so attention to detail is important. This recognition belongs to everyone involved in designing it, building it and supporting our customers.”
The company began in 1976, developing on-vehicle weighing systems to help forestry operators load accurately and work more efficiently. It is now described as the first incarnation of what regulators now call Chain of Responsibility (CoR). It commenced exporting in 1978, taking that practical approach to problem-solving into international markets.
Tasmanian engineering at work in Antarctica: an Elphinstone sled supports a remote weather station, allowing researchers to reposition the installation as snow accumulates.
Today, its Antarctic equipment includes traverse and recovery sleds, snow graders and protective ski slippers that shield sled runners when crossing rock and gravel during coastal deployment.
These products address challenges that few workshops encounter. Equipment must perform in extreme cold, carry substantial loads and remain straightforward to transport, assemble and maintain in isolated locations.
An Elphinstone recovery sled supports a tracked snow vehicle in Antarctica, showcasing Tasmanian-built equipment for polar recovery operations.
Recovery Sled
A new-generation recovery sled developed for Australian Antarctic operations has attracted interest from the United States Antarctic Program. Its modular construction allows major components to be separated for transport, while interchangeable skis simplify spare-parts requirements and maintenance.
Enquiries from Japan for ski slippers provide another example of how a specialised solution developed in Tasmania can find applications overseas.
Tasmanian weighing technology at work beneath Mongolia’s South Gobi Desert: Elphinstone load cells help Oyu Tolgoi’s underground road trains maximise payloads while preventing overloading.
Loadcells
Elphinstone’s international work also extends underground. At Mongolia’s Oyu Tolgoi copper and gold mine, its load cells provide weight information for underground road trains, helping operators manage payloads and reduce the risks associated with overloading.
That precision weighing capability is supported by the company’s Sunshine West operation in Victoria, including its scaling and gauging laboratory. Australian suppliers also contribute materials, components and specialist services to the finished products.
Precision beneath the turntable: an Elphinstone load cell installed beneath a truck’s fifth-wheel coupling provides load measurement for on-board weighing.
“We started by helping people in the bush solve every day loading problems, and that is still how we approach the work,” Graeme said. “We listen to the people using the equipment, understand what they need and build something that does the job properly. To see that work recognised in our 50th year is particularly rewarding for the team.”
The finalist recognition celebrates a business whose international reach remains grounded in practical experience and local manufacturing skills. For the people behind the products, it is an opportunity to take pride in work that begins in regional Tasmania and travels to some extraordinary places.
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