The story of Susannah Place is of shared history of four houses that existed side by side. Neighbours couldn’t help but hear footsteps on the stairs, the arguments between husbands and wives, the conversations in the yards or the back to back toilets being flushed. Escaping their cramped conditions, locals gossiped as they hung their washing in the back lanes. Kids played outdoor games and street sellers, from milkmen to rabbitohs came past shouting and selling their wares. Everyone knew everyone's business.

The 20th century slowly ate at this 'social web.' First came the bubonic plague of 1900 and the government resumption of the area followed by the demolition of many houses, then the Harbour Bridge and the Cahill Expressway demolished more as they sliced through the area. The last straw was the 1970s plan to redevelop the area at the expense of the remaining old buildings and replace them with high rise.