 Little is known of the area prior to 1980 - a report in 1988 noted that (p. 9) "although mainly a rural area, a significant portion of the Kemerton site remains undeveloped", and there was "very little agricultural development other than the use of the land for seasonal grazing", possibly due to poor soils and inadequate drainage.The report noted a piggery and an abattoir, the latter of which is still in operation.In 1980, Alcoa commenced investigations into potential sites for an aluminium smelter.