The effects of high energy milling on the shape, size and low temperature sinterability of plate-like alumina powder was studied. The milling effects were studied under three different processing conditions, designed by varying the charge ratio and the milling medium. 10:1 and 20:1 ball to powder charge ratios were considered in wet and dry milling media, with powder samples collected after 4, 8, 16 and 32 h of milling. Analysis demonstrates that 20:1 wet milled powders underwent greatest size reduction with a final average particle size of 0.29 um and crystallite size of 10.13 nm. 20:1 wet milled powders were subsequently sintered at 1300 °C for 10 and 20 h. Results indicate that densification and hardness increased as a function of milling time, reaching to a maximum for 16 h milled samples with the least amount of porosity.