History

Since early beginnings in 1904 and the manufacture of the first Australian designed electric hoist in 1928, Austin Hoist & Crane has carved a niche as a leader in overhead cranes, gantry cranes, jib cranes, monorail cranes, semi - portal cranes, hazardous cranes, bridge cranes and special custom cranes.

The result of this long history in the industry is our vast experience and ability to innovate, dating back some 100 years to when the company was founded by Edward Arthur Austin (1868-1942).

After finishing his engineering apprenticeship at Thompsons Engineering in Castlemaine, Edward moved to Melbourne to further his engineering career. In 1904 he decided to start his own business located at 494 Little Bourke Street. A very clever and practical engineer, he soon established an expanding clientele for his business.

In 1928, Arthur manufactured the first Australian designed small electric hoist, which eventually led to the production of monorails and small overhead cranes. When World War II broke out in 1939, Australia was faced with the need to produce its own war equipment and Austin Hoist & Crane products became sought after as part of the war effort. During the war years, countless overhead cranes and hundreds of electric hoists were produced.

In 1942, Edward passed away and his brother, Harold, took over the running of Austin Hoist & Crane. After the war Austin supplied hoists and cranes to all segments of industry, including General Motors first Holden assembly line, and the largest crane we had been commissioned to build for AIS Port Kembla Works. With a capacity of 50 tonnes and a span of 30 metres, the fence around the company had to be dismantled to get the huge crane out!

Arthur, along with his son Russell, took over the running of the company in 1962 and the following three decades saw Austin Hoist & Crane continue to manufacture a wide range of equipment for many diverse industries. Arthur has retired while Russell continues to lend his expertise as a consultant.

We are proud that we are still Australian owned and operated and provide excellent quality and safety features, backed by over 100 years of solid experience and innovation.

Today, Austin Hoist & Crane manufactures cranes with lift capacity from125 to 160,000 kg. Our team will design, manufacture and install a product to fit your exact requirements in any location, including servicing, refurbishing or rebuilding existing cranes to meet today's safety standards; manufacture and installation of goods lifts; electric, pneumatic and explosion proof hoists and cranes ranging from complete installations to stand alone hoist units.