The northern section provides access to the Perth Arena carpark and Telethon Avenue; there are also dedicated Transperth bus roads connecting to the northern end, south of the Fremantle railway line.

[4][5] It was named after Dr William Lane Milligan, the original owner of the land on the southern end of Milligan Street, south of St Georges Terrace.

[6][7] In 1863 the section of Milligan Street south of St Georges Terrace was rezoned and transferred to Matthew Hale, the Anglican Bishop of Perth.

In 1923 Melbourne Road[a] was renamed to Milligan Street[12] and the two were considered a single road when the Perth City Council adopted a committee recommendation: That the name of Melbourne-road be altered to Milligan-street, and that the present Milligan-street and the present Melbourne-road be then regarded as one thoroughfare.

[18][b] The road was removed in 1974, when the Perth Entertainment Centre was built.