In 1957 WMC Limited - one of Australia's most successful mining companies - began exploring the bauxite in the Darling Range to confirm and map what appeared to be extensive reserves. Within a year the deposits had been delineated and encouraging results prompted WMC to invite two other Australian mining companies, Broken Hill South Ltd. and North Broken Hill Ltd., to join the venture. A new company, Western Aluminium N.L., was formed to develop an integrated aluminium industry.

    However, an undertaking of this size needed enormous capital input and a background in technology that was not at that time available in Australia. The Aluminum Company of America (now Alcoa Inc) was approached, with the Australian companies offering a partnership in exchange for the necessary capital and technological support. Alcoa of Australia was formed in June 1961 as a result of these negotiations, and was granted a 12,619 sq km bauxite mining lease by the W.A. Government.

    Ground was broken for the Kwinana alumina refinery near Perth, and for the Point Henry aluminium smelter and semi-fabricating plant near Geelong in Victoria, in December 1961. This was an immense project at the time. The expenditure for initial production capacity was 50 percent more than the combined market value of the three original Australian partners. Point Henry came on stream in 1963 and Kwinana the following year, initiating what was to become the world's biggest bauxite-alumina industry.

    In July 1994 Alcoa and WMC announced agreement for Alcoa to lift its shareholding to 60 percent, and for WMC to acquire a 40 percent interest in Alcoa's worldwide bauxite/alumina/chemicals interests.