They were also assured that the new section of the Victoria Park estate was the "finest subdivision" in Western Australia, destined to be "up-to-date in 40 years time", and distinguished by "Childrens Playgrounds for every group of homes".

[2] Residential development was slow, and Geoff Gallop records in his historical notes that "bush land with some heavy timber and the occasional stray cow from Belmont greeted the post-war generation who built the suburb.

"[3] Lathlain was a "garden suburb" estate designed in 1920 by Carl Klem and brother-in-law and senior partner Percy Hope.

Maintenance of these public open spaces was seen as problematic by the City of Perth (then the local government of the area), and the plan was scaled back to only two such reserves (bordered by Roberts Road, Rutland Avenue, Bishopsgate Street and Goddard Street) one of which has been sold to adjoining residents (Roberts, Rutland, Bishopsgate, Forster).

Demographics changed and during the early 1990s Lathlain's only civil structure, its local primary school, was earmarked for closure by the education minister at the time, Norman Moore, due to low student enrolments.

Students, parents and locals fought successfully to keep the school open, and it now has a healthy enrolment aided by the on-site pre-primary and better facilities.