[4] The Noongar people primarily camped on the higher ground around the lake's northern and western edges, in order to avoid flooding and minimise exposure to midges and mosquitoes.

The roots and stems of bullrushes supplied carbohydrates and the lake was also "an important source of protein in the form of frogs, tortoises, crustaceans and water fowl".

[6] Unlike the lakes closer to the townsite, Herdsman and Monger were "left relatively undisturbed" in the early years of the colony as they were considered too far away to develop into residential land.

The Western Australian gold rushes brought a population influx and saw the lake used for raising pigs and poultry as well as growing crops.

[9] In 1912, most of the swamps in Osborne Park were drained into Herdsman Lake in order to improve growing conditions for the market gardens in that suburb.

The Public Works Department subsequently began a scheme to drain the entirety of Herdsman Lake and reclaim the land for market gardens.

[8] The land formed part of a soldier settlement scheme for World War I veterans with around 518 hectares (1,280 acres) acquired by the state government from the Catholic Church.

[10] Construction on the drainage scheme began in 1921 and was completed in 1925, with the drain including a tunnel of 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) leading to an ocean outlet in Floreat.

The soils proved too peaty and acidic for crops to be grown successfully, and the decrease in water level contributed to a replacement of native bulrushes with introduced species.