Wesfarmers — a diversified corporation From its origins in 1914 as a Western Australian farmers'​ cooperative, Wesfarmers has grown into one of Australia's largest listed companies. With headquarters in Western Australia, its diverse business operations cover: supermarkets, liquor, hotels and convenience stores; home improvement; office supplies; department stores; and an industrials division with businesses in chemicals, energy and fertilisers, industrial and safety products and coal. Wesfarmers is one of Australia's largest private sector employers with around 220,000 employees and has a shareholder base of approximately 500,000. The primary objective of Wesfarmers is to provide a satisfactory return to its shareholders.