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The evolution of urban form is a slow and complex process driven by various factors which influence its pattern of occurrence (time, shape and directions) over time. Given the ever-increasing demand for urban expansion, and its negative effects on travel efficiency and environmental quality, it is imperative to understand the driving forces behind this complex process. This study investigates the role played by transport developments in the expansion of Perth's urban footprint. Since transport developments are influenced by prevailing economic developments and planning regulations, our analysis starts by deconstructing a timeline of milestones under these three themes, from an urban land development perspective. An overview of the eras of transport evolution is provided, and we discuss the pattern of urban form changes as they relate to these transport advancements. The paper ends by mapping and quantifying changes in Perth's urban land over the past five decades. The results show that transport had a strong influence on the pattern of urban expansion for a long time, but that trend has now been reversed. Rail constructions have been playing catch-up to residential expansion since the late twentieth century. Meanwhile, the rate of urban expansion has gone down in the twenty-first century, as the city goes for compact growth. outcome of urbanisation, and is usually the term used to denote unsustainable urban expansion [5]. The phenomenon of urban sprawl/expansion has been discussed extensively in the literature. Several studies have also investigated forces that affect urban growth and shape the urban form, however, this is neither uniform nor constant. Catalán, Saurí [16] assert that the study of urban form "must be approached and understood taking into account specific geographical and historical contexts in which particular urban forms shape cities" (p. 174). A polarisation of case studies on North-American urban expansion and transitional urban patterns of some European cities (e.g., Barcelona and Athens) is noted in the literature. An overwhelming amount of studies ascribes sprawling largely to increasing automobile usage and road network expansions [17][18][19][20][21]. Also evident in the literature is the wealth of theoretical discussion highlighting the debate between compact and dispersed urban forms. There is limited study on the evolution of dispersed urban form in different contexts outside these trends. Studies of urban growth drivers interwoven along the trajectory of city development are imperative.Perth presents a good opportunity to study the pattern of expansion in post-colonial cities. The evolutionary journey of Perth from a small colonial town of 1829 to a modern metropolis has attracted the interest of urban scientists due to its rapid and dispersed suburbanisation that made it one of the most sprawling cities in the world (see, among others, Alexander and McManus [22]; Alexander, Greive [23]; Falconer, Newman [24] Curtis and Mellor [25] and Troy [26]). In 1970, the Perth Metropolitan Region...