It is on the northeast border of the Wheatbelt region with agriculture being one of the major occupations in the area.

In 1889 the surveyor H King explored and charted the region and shortly afterward land was opened up for agriculture around Bencubbin.

More surveyors went to work in 1921 making 1,000 acres (405 ha) blocks and the earliest settlers in Beacon acquired farmland in 1922.

The rock part of the name was dropped some time later and the townsite of Beacon was gazetted in 1931.

[5] In 1932 the Wheat Pool of Western Australia announced that the town would have two grain elevators, each fitted with an engine, installed at the railway siding.