The suburb known as Carlisle today was originally settled as part of a land allocation to early Western Australian settlers after 1829.

The suburb is located within the "Bassendean Dunes" soil type of the Swan Coastal Plain and is mainly flat with occasional gentle undulations between its low areas in the west and its high areas in the east.

The high points in Carlisle offer glimpses of the nearby Perth CBD and Burswood skylines.

Streets in Carlisle are constructed in the traditional grid formation representative of the early planning style of Perth.

[3] The reservation consists of a footpath on at least one side (some streets have paths on both sides), 4-metre-wide (13 ft) landscaped verges and a 7-metre-wide (23 ft) carriageway that can support on-street parking and the passing of vehicles.

Other facilities include Holy Name Primary School, Lathlain Nursing Home, Windsor Park Nursing Home, Harold Hawthorne Seniors Centre, Town of Victoria Park Council Depot, and the City of Belmont Operations Centre.