Graduating from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 1999, McElhinney has performed around Australia and in the United States with the Melbourne Theatre Company, Black Swan Theatre Company, Perth Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company. She was nominated for a Helpmann Award in 2007 and was a core member Sydney Theatre Company's Actor's Company ensemble from 2006 – 2008. She played Sonya in the Sydney Theatre Company production of Uncle Vanya which met with excellent reviews when it played in Sydney (2010), Washington, D.C. (2011) and Manhattan (2012)
