In 1990–91, the state produced 14,980 tonnes of copper, a figure that had grown ten-fold by 2010 and reached a peak of 211,186 in 2014.

[4][5] In the late 1890s and early 1900s there were small finds such as the Whim Creek copper mine in the Pilbara,[6] and the Kimberley region.

In the early twentieth century, most operations were small, and lasted a short duration.

[2] In 2019, the owners of the Whim Creek copper mine were handed an Environmental Protection Notice by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation because of seepage of heavy metals from the mine into the Balla Balla River, considered a serious pollution risk.

While in care and maintenance and with no active mining, Black Rock Minerals re-processed existing stockpiles through a small process plant and heap leach.

The small scale re-processing at Whim Creek eventually ceased in October 2019.