If you look at the spread of the sub-urbs, post-WWII, especially in those countries that weren't directly affected (I.e. USA), I would say ....

Oh crap, now I re-read your original question and I'm confused. I need more coffee.

Society has evolved around transport. You'd be hard pressed to get most of us Norte Americanos out of our cars.

Are you asking about over time in general - from the horse cart era through railroads - think about how rail roads affected the settling the western US. I'm not so sure about Australia. Don't you have RR towns - that existed because there's fuel/water? Farmers and ranchers bring their stock to the closest RR town?

I noticed when I was on a trip across the Sierra Madres in northern Mexico that there were no power lines, or rail roads to link the little villages - and how time seemed to have stood still. Where my experience with American History was that there was still a unifying effort to link the country. And I didn't see that in Mexico.