History

A leading drilling services provider for over 60 years.

Our journey began in the mid-1960s, when Wallis Drilling was founded as a small family venture in the Northern Territory. What started as a partnership between father and son quickly became the foundation of a company driven by innovation, integrity, and a pioneering spirit.

Over the decades, we’ve evolved from modest beginnings into one of Australia’s most respected drilling contractors - developing world-first technologies, expanding across countries, and setting new standards for quality and safety. This timeline shares our story - how we’ve grown, adapted, and led the way in drilling innovation for more than 60 years, while remaining true to our family roots.

1960s – The Foundations

1964 - 1965:

  • Wallis Drilling was first formed as a partnership in February 1964, before officially incorporating in 1965.
  • Founded by father and son, Marty and Jamie Wallis, the company began its operations in the Rum Jungle uranium region of the Northern Territory, drilling for the Bureau of Mineral Resources.
  • The business begins as a small family venture, focusing on geochemical exploration.

1969:

  • Graeme Wallis, now Executive Director, began his career with the company in 1969, working full-time in an all-round role.


1970s – Innovation & Industry Breakthrough

1974:

  • Jamie Wallis invents the Aircore Drilling System a revolutionary, cleaner, faster sampling method using compressed air.
  • Wallis Aircore Drilling then wins an Australian Design award 4 years later. This technique was quickly adopted worldwide, specifically in mineral sands and alluvial deposits.
  • Wallis Aircore Drilling was only used in mineral sand within Australia, however expanded into gold specifically uranium. At this time the whole Wallis Rig fleet were Aircore Drilling specific.

1976-1979:

  • Aircore drilling, credited with several major mineral discoveries (including diamonds at Ellendale, WA), was initially used for 300m drilling at Ellendale. When ground conditions became too hard, operations reverted to diamond drilling at Argyle, with Aircore rigs following once diamond drilling was completed — all under long-term contracts with CRA (now Rio Tinto Exploration).
  • As our reputation build for Wallis' technical ingenuity and sample quality, the transition from a small contractor to a recognised innovator in drilling technology was inevitable.
  • With our reputation build this allowed the following months and years to remain busy as the market dipped, which then lead to Wallis Aircore Drilling breaking into the international market at Christmas Island.
  • Our contract at Christmas Island lead to the invention of our Mantis 80, our first Toyota Rig. Mantis came from the way it looked like a praying mantis - decades later the nickname has stuck.


  • 1980s – Growth Across Australia
    • As Wallis entered the 80s our services expanded beyond Aircore and Diamond Drilling into, Reverse Circulation (RC) Drilling, Grade Control and Blast Hole Drilling.
    • Wallis took innovation to a whole new level in developing specialised rigs for tough environments such as, Lake Rigs for drilling in water and salt lakes and Heli-Portable Rigs to allow access to remote regions with no road access. (See Delta 1 pictured below)
  • By the late 1980s the Wallis Fleet is steadily growing and reaches 12 Rigs in the first few stages
  • Graeme expands Wallis down to Collie, WA to showcase the Wallis Aircore Drilling Technique, resulting in that rig not returning to Midvale for another 30 years.
  • During this time Wallis Drilling became a highly regarded contractor for Gold, Iron Ore, and Mineral Sands exploration across Western Australia and beyond. Providing both Wallis Aircore and Diamond Drilling services.


1990s – International Expansion

  • The early 1990s began with Wallis operating 22 rigs.
  • The expansion of project reached beyond Australia with contracts in; Papua New Guinee, Indonesia, North Korea, China, Romania, Japan, USA, Africa and Europe, exporting Wallis Aircore, Diamond and RC Expertise globally.
  • Wallis was constantly looking towards the future in designing and innovating custom rigs to handle difficult geology and climates.
  • Maintaining family leadership, Wallis looks to continue innovating in-house whilst expanding our reach.
  • 1995 Wallis plunged into Mozambique for mineral sands leading into on-and-off work for over 20 years.
  • Drilling for Woodside, racking a platform for stabilisation - this project progressed into a two-year contract.


  • 2000s – Certification & Professionalisation
    • Wallis Drilling achieved its first of many certifications. ISO 9001 Certification was awarded in 2003, proving our commitment to quality management. This benchmark set Wallis apart as we were among the first in Australian Drilling to do so.
  • We expanded heavily into the Pilbara Iron Ore industry with clients including Rio Tinto, BHP, and Fortescue.
  • Our Midvale HQ was built on a permanent scale in Perth, WA. This facility included engineering workshops and machine shops - this enabled Wallis to design, build, and maintain our own rigs.
  • The late 2000s Wallis Drilling was furthermore seen as a benchmark contractor for quality and reliability.


2010s – Scaling Up & New Era of Rigs

  • Wallis Drilling’s workforce grew to over 200 employees, reflecting the company’s expanding operations and industry presence.
  • Our fleet surpassed 50 rigs, covering Aircore, Reverse Circulation, diamond, and specialist rigs, allowing Wallis to service a broader range of exploration and mining projects.
  • In 2007, we expanded into the coal seam gas industry, first in New South Wales and later in Queensland, diversifying beyond gold and iron ore into base metals and other commodities.
  • Wallis achieved further recognition through the addition of ISO 45001 (Workplace Safety) and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) certifications.
  • By 2019, Wallis became one of the few drilling contractors to gain ISO 55001 (Asset Management) certification, formalising our structured approach to maintaining and optimising a large fleet.
  • We also launched the first Mantis rig concepts - lightweight, automated rigs designed and built in-house, showcasing Wallis Drilling’s continued innovation and commitment to advancing drilling technology.

2020s – Automation, Awards & Sustainability

  • Our Mantis Series rigs - including the Mantis 60, 80, 100, 200, and 300 - were developed to be highly automated, safer, and capable of remote operation.
  • The Mantis 200 received national recognition, winning both the DMIRS Safety Innovation Award and the ADIA Engineering Excellence Award.
  • By this time, our workforce had grown to over 350 employees, further supporting our expanding operations and technological advancements.
  • Between 2023 and 2025, planning and construction began on our new Hazelmere headquarters, a state-of-the-art campus bringing together all workshops, engineering, administration, and training facilities.
  • Scheduled to open in early 2026, the campus will feature EV charging bays, washdown facilities, modern offices, and advanced training centres, reflecting Wallis’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and innovation.