Susannah Place has survived largely unchanged through the social and economic pressures of the 20th century.

Escaping their cramped, sometimes dire conditions, locals gossipped 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. By then Ellen and Dennis Marshall of 62 were the remaining occupants of Susannah Place 'it was like living on a five-acre property,' because there were so few people around.