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As one of Australia’s oldest and most successful diversified companies, Wesfarmers began in June 1914 as the Westralian Farmers Co-operative and for most of its early history was primarily involved with the provision of services and merchandise to Western Australia's rural community.
Its early operations included wool and wheat merchandising, grain and fruit exporting, oil distribution to rural areas, as well as Western Australia’s first public radio station.
On the road to diversification
In the 1950s Wesfarmers began a major diversification programme with the formation of Kleenheat Gas. Kleenheat pioneered the distribution of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and gas appliances to Western Australia's rural areas and now operates a major Australia-wide network of depots, company-operated branches, dealers and franchisees.
The 1980s saw significant changes to the company’s operations and structure.
In 1984, with the farmers co-operative as its majority shareholder, Wesfarmers Limited listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
In the same year, the company acquired fertiliser manufacturer and distributor CSBP & Farmers, in what was then Australia’s largest corporate takeover.
Wesfarmers added to its energy industry investments by moving into coal mining when it acquired Western Collieries in 1989, now Premier. In the 1990s, the company invested in the Bengalla mine in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Further expansion of the coal interests occurred in May 2000 through the acquisition of the Curragh mine in Queensland's Bowen Basin. In early 2003, Wesfarmers won the right to develop a nearby deposit, more than doubling the recoverable reserves in and around Curragh.
Wesfarmers broadened its agricultural base in 1993 when it acquired Dalgety Farmers Limited. The following year the company established Wesfarmers Dalgety as a national rural business. In 2001 the rural business expanded after Wesfarmers Dalgety merged with IAMA Limited and formed Wesfarmers Landmark. Landmark was sold to AWB Limited in August 2003.
Also in 1994, Wesfarmers completed its acquisition of Bunnings Limited, establishing the company in hardware retailing and forest products.
In April 2001 Wesfarmers completed the transition to a broadly-based public company when shareholders overwhelmingly supported a proposal to simplify its complex ownership and control structure.
In the same year, Wesfarmers acquired Howard Smith's BBC and Hardwarehouse businesses making Bunnings Australia's leading supplier of home improvement and building products. The acquisition also included hardware and industrial and safety products businesses in New Zealand, giving Wesfarmers its first significant presence outside Australia.
Following the 2001 acquisition, Wesfarmers formed its Industrial and Safety division which is now the leading supplier of maintenance, repair and operating products in Australia and New Zealand.

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