Susannah Place Museum

The last Friday of the summer hols, and what to do. We’d found out about this as a part of the Sydney Living Museums group and I was keen to check it out. It’s a group of 4 terrace houses that were built in the 18somethings and were continuously occupied until the late 1980s.
Having been bought by the NSW Govt and converted into a museum, each terrace is furnished in a different era, to match the people who were documented as living there.
Tiny, tiny terraces, and the ceilings are low. Tall people beware, particularly on the internal staircases. I’m only 157 cm tall, but even I had to watch out.
You go in and out, up and down, through back yards and front doors. Marvel at the basic outdoor facilities (toilets, baths and laundries). Feel tall on the wobbly floors that tilt at odd angles. Be amazed at the pay as you go gas meter, used for heating and lighting.
We were there on a horrible, hot, humid and wet day, so the rooms that don’t have electric light were dark, but I guess that just contributed to the authenticity of the décor.
There’s also an operational corner shop as a part of the museum, with old-​fashioned knick-​knacks as a part of what they sell. The kids were delighted to receive eucalyptus drops and bulls eyes lollies.
Worth a visit. If you plan on doing more than one in the set, purchase the 4 museum ticket, as that makes the others more affordable.

We had Ivan for our tour guide and he was great! Quick witted and very informed! This was my favorite museum in Sydney! I am even debating on going back with my husband as we wasn’t able to come this time. You walk through the store front and two of the houses. Amazing that they were able to preserve this piece of history. So amazing how all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together and hearing about the many families that lived there!

Walking through The Rocks after their fantastically fun Sunday Market in Sydney, this charming little museum caught my eye with a group of old fashioned whisk brooms piled out front. Ducking in, the staff member shared the purpose of the Museum and we determined to swing by on Monday.
If you enjoy «slice of life» historical properties, then I recommend a visit here. One hour is plenty and there are mandatory, guided tours on the hour. The four terrace flats are the real show here — along with the stories shared by your guide/​interpreter. Vaguely reminiscent of NYC’s Tenement Museum in its approach, the stories of the families who lived in Sydney in these spaces can inspire the imagination. Each Terrace highlights several different eras — there is no one single era kitted out completely in one home.
One tip: The Museum Pass for $ 18 (as of Dec 2013) is well worth it if youre planning on seeing the Hyde Park Barracks as well. Doing this will also get you into the Museum of Sydney and the Police/​Crime Museum open on Weekends for the same price. If you have to discriminate, the Hyde Park should be the priority followed by this little gem.

No need to visualize how the early Sydneysiders of the 19^th century lived, just go to Susannah Place museum in the heart of The Rocks. It consists of four working-​class terraces build in the 1844 by immigrants from Ireland and has been continuously occupied until about 20 years ago. Interestingly, over 100 different families lived here. That’s a lot of history! Luckily for us, these four houses survived a complete reconstruction of the entire Rocks area, which used to be a place of slum-​like conditions for the working class. This museum displays the efforts of domestic archaeology, which attempt to peel back all the layers of decoration and reformatting that each one of these 100+ families contributed. The museum tells the stories of select families who inhabited the houses over the past two centuries. Imagine living here in deplorable living conditions during the bubonic plague outbreak in 1900. Times have sure changed!

Its not visually spectacular and theres no fabulous antiques or rare and priceless artifacts but it is a fascinating insight into working life through the 1850’s — 1970’s in Sydney. Inside these four terraces everything seems tiny and truly reflects how restrictive living space would of been in those times. The laundries and bathrooms are outside and our guide says they are among the oldest in Sydney. There are floor coverings and some wall paper. resembles a dairy or general store. The handrails have been worn smooth and there are many stories under each layer that makes Susannah Place Museum.
From the Historic Houses Trust you can purchase the Ticket Through Time where you can visit 12 historical houses in Sydney over a 3 month period. A family ticket is $ 60.