Just got back from a reccie trip to Perth. My sister-in-law & her partner (with whom we stayed) had a copy of a book called "Living in Perth" by Kobie Hattingh. It comes out annually or biannually (and apparently has done for a few years now) and is subtitled "A reference guide for migrants and residents". We found it very useful for working out what suburbs were affordable and which were zoned for high-density occupation, and it's full of advice and information aimed at someone trying to find their feet in WA. It's available online from bookworm.com.au (hope the forum doesn't filter out the link here):
Living in Perth Australia 2008/09
I don't have any affiliation with the book or the author: just recommending it on the basis of experience. That, a hire car, a satnav and the real estate section of weekend issue of The West Australian were all we needed to do a fast and efficient survey of where we wanted to live.
Cheers
b