Western australia is home to a vast range of critical minerals, including lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements, reinforcing australia's leading role in the global supply chain. This study provides a systematic description of the multi-phase process of these minerals, including exploration, mining, processing and manufacturing. It also identifies and gives initial insights into popular and lesser-known minerals, such as key challenges and opportunities for the industry. Exploration efforts have delineated significant mineral resources, yet challenges persist due to insufficient geospatial data integration, underinvestment in lower-profile minerals and the complexities in processing low- grade ores. a substantial limitation in Western australia's critical minerals sector is the lack of integrated midstream and downstream manufacturing capacity. While mining operations and primary beneficiation techniques are well-developed, refining operations are dependent on offshore expertise. Thus, tracking the life cycle of lesser-known minerals is another challenge due to their overseas processing, primarily in asian countries. This also highlights the absence of data regarding minor minerals production in Western australia. The absence of large-scale domestic manufacturing facilities results in the export of intermediate products, limiting the state's ability to capture value along the supply chain. Market volatility and geopolitical risks further discourage long-term investment in critical mineral production. addressing these structural limitations requires targeted interventions, investment in downstream manufacturing, strengthening government-industry partnerships and integrating secondary processing and recycling frameworks.