[2] Before the establishment of the Swan River Colony, the area was occupied by the Yabbaru Bibbulman Noongar people, who used the nearby Boodjamooling wetland (later known as Third Swamp Reserve, and now as Hyde Park) as a camping, fishing and meeting ground.

Mount Lawley Estate was developed by R. T. Robinson and Sam Copley[6] and stretched northwards from Walcott Street.

The Mount Lawley train station is in the east of the suburb, and provides access to the Midland railway line.

Buses benefit from dedicated bus lanes along Beaufort Street, which are operational during weekday peak traffic periods, and the 950 connects Mount Lawley with the University of Western Australia in Crawley.

[citation needed] The main collector road in Mount Lawley is Beaufort Street, which runs north–south linking Morley in the north to the Perth city centre in the south.

Vincent Street connects Mount Lawley to the west, including North Perth and Leederville.

Mount Lawley hosts a campus of Edith Cowan University and which includes WAAPA.