The History of Tempe House - Bayside Council
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JULY 18 Cindy Purvis 2019 Ron Rathbone Junior Local History Prize The History of Tempe House
Transcript of The History of Tempe House - Bayside Council
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JULY 18
Cindy Purvis
2019 Ron Rathbone Junior Local History Prize
The History of Tempe House
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Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................. 4
What is Tempe House? ......................................................................................... 4
History Prior to Construction ................................................................................ 4
Inspiration ............................................................................................................ 4
Location ................................................................................................................... 6
Description of house and gardens ............................................................................. 7
The House ............................................................................................................ 7
The Grounds ......................................................................................................... 8
1839 Dam ............................................................................................................. 9
Alexander Spark ..................................................................................................... 11
Life in Australia ................................................................................................... 11
Connection to Tempe House ............................................................................... 12
Later Life ............................................................................................................ 12
Legacy ................................................................................................................ 12
John Verge ............................................................................................................. 13
Early Life ............................................................................................................. 13
Architectural Work and Style .............................................................................. 13
Camden Park Estate ........................................................................................ 14
Elizabeth Bay House ........................................................................................ 14
Tempe House .................................................................................................. 15
Greenbank ............................................................................................................. 15
Caroline Chisholm .................................................................................................. 17
Connection to Tempe House ............................................................................... 20
Chisholm’s Legacy ............................................................................................... 21
St Magdalene’s Chapel ........................................................................................... 21
History................................................................................................................ 22
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Description ......................................................................................................... 24
NSW State Heritage Listing ..................................................................................... 24
Legacy .................................................................................................................... 24
Bibliography ........................................................................................................... 26
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................ 28
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Introduction Tempe House, a white Georgian villa, sits overlooking the Cooks River. At its back, an amphitheater of
modern brick apartments crowd the horizon. Facing onto a broad expanse of green, Tempe House and St
Magdalene’s Chapel is a NSW state heritage site, renowned for its history, its unique façade, its
connection to prominent local Australians and its usage as a convent. One of the last remnants of John
Verge’s architectural genius, Tempe House is a significant element of Bayside Council’s local history. Its
ties to historical figures, under the ownership of Scottish émigré Alexander Brodie Spark and social
welfare philanthropist Caroline Chisholm, also helped to cement its place in Australian history. As an
architectural piece, it holds much significance as a testimony to colonial history. This has been
acknowledged in its placement on the NSW State Heritage Register.
This essay reflects the historical significance of Tempe House, and in doing so also explores the
personalities related to various phases of its history in order to acutely convey the importance of the
Estate to Bayside Council.
What is Tempe House?
Tempe House encapsulates an entire estate near Cooks River, which includes the House, a number of
surrounding buildings and landscape, as well as St Magdalene’s Chapel, which was built during the
occupation of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan. The subdivision of the land has made it difficult to
retain the entire Estate, however the most significant architectural building of the villa and the chapel
remain preserved, along with part of the landscape. This is all established on the NSW State Heritage
Register.
History Prior to Construction
Prior to Alexander Spark’s ownership and construction of Tempe house, the land was labeled Packer’s
farm. Following his purchase for 100 pounds, the 110 acre estate was rebuilt to Spark’s specifications.
The primary villa, which is the most famous of the buildings, was constructed for the purposes
entertainment. In the time that it took to build prior to 1836, Spark lived in a temporary sandstone
cottage which no longer exists. From 1828, there were six people living on the estate, however by the
villa’s complete construction in 1836, 31 people lived and worked on the estate.
Inspiration
Tempe House, or ‘Tempe’, as Spark named it, was coined after the Vale of Tempe, a beautiful valley
situated under ancient Greece’s Mount Olympus. The Grecian Tempe contains the Pineios River, flowing
into the Aegean Sea. Said to have been carved from Poseidon’s Trident, the Vale of Tempe was
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inextricably linked to Grecian mythology, being home to Aristaeus (son of Apollo and Cyrene) and
containing a temple to Apollo. The lush scenery and breathtaking landscape described so eloquently by
ancient artists and historians would have resembled the view from Tempe House overlooking the Cook’s
River. The Australian countryside in 1828, as well as Spark’s imaginative construction, provided the
impetus for architect John Verge’s designs of grandeur, especially as Tempe House was constructed with
an impressive Grecian façade.
“It appears to have been a generally received notion among the
ancients, that the gorge of Tempe was caused by some great convulsion
in nature, which, bursting asunder the great mountain‐barrier, by which
the waters of Thessaly were pent up, afforded them an egress to the
sea.”
John Lempriere in Bibliotheca Classica
Vale of Tempe
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Location Tempe House and St Magdalene’s Chapel sits at 1 Princess Highway, in Wolli Creek. Overlooking the
Cooks River, Tempe House sits at the edge of the remaining area allocated to Discovery Point Park,
within the bounds of Bayside Council.
A mere 5 minute walk from Wolli Creek Station, Tempe House is easily accessible via public transport,
and is a popular tourist destination to witness colonial history and architecture. Next to it sits St
Magdalene’s Chapel, a part of Tempe Estate that is currently used to hose community events.
The surrounding Brodie Spark Drive is named after the initial owner of the state, Alexander Brodie Spark.
Today, apartment buildings sit behind the Estate, and appear prominently in modern pictures of the
House.
Google Maps Location
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Description of house and gardens The House
Tempe House was built in 1836, entirely out of stone mined from the local quarry. The house was built
by colonial architect, John Verge, and remains one of his most outstanding and celebrated works. Much
of its inspiration comes from Greek temples, which Verge emulated in the white columns of the veranda.
The villa is one storey, 6 bedrooms, sitting on twelve acres of surrounding land. The white classical motif
is apparent in its symmetrical façade, where the large wraparound veranda overlooks the traditional
Arcadian pastoral landscaping and grounds. This veranda also affords a view of the long carriageway,
which approaches the house through the scenic gardens around it.
The Northeastern facing front retains much of the original veranda, with glass framed cedar French
doors equally positioned on either side of the central stairway leading to the large 8 panel front door.
The Southeastern elevation, by contrast, contains a courtyard that opens up from a 6 panel door.
Restorations on the roof have modified elements of the original hipped ceiling.
In the interior, Verge’s design continues to permeate through the retention of the original fireplaces and
French doors, which afford the building a distinctly European flavor. The house was designed to take
advantage of the sweeping landscape, with each room having windows that overlook the surroundings.
In particular, large French windows allow viewers an unbarred sight of the Cook’s River. Large marble
fireplaces complement the original parquet flooring.
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The Grounds
The Tempe House Estate is perhaps equally as famous for its unique grounds, which in 1828 would have
been unimpeded by high rise buildings, adding to the natural beauty of the landscape. The house was
surrounded by scenic gardens extending to the Cook’s River, which in accordance with contemporary
descriptions, contained an exclusive collection of rare plants, trees and shrubs. The estate also contained
an orchard (with over 154 fruit trees, tended to by 13 convict labourers), greenhouse, shrubbery and
gardener’s cottage, and even on the river, a rococo bathing house. This bathing house no longer stands;
today it would be placed in the middle of Princes Highway.
Prior to the installation of the carriageway to the house, Sparks and his visitors stabled horses on the
northern bank of the river, and were ferried across by his private boatman, “Old Willy”. This proved
obsolete when the dam was built, and in years later, the bridge. The construction of the dam linked the
city to the area by road, leading to Sparks’ building a carriage drive, coach house, stables and a grooms’
quarters in 1841. The stables burnt down in 1844 and were rebuilt, remaining on site until 1960.
To the front of the house, the landscaped river front contained gardens and lawns, culminating in a
wharf where visitors could alight. This was built in 1838, as part of the construction of the villa and
surroundings.
In his attempt to regain money following the 1840s recession, Sparks planted a bevy of crops,
inadvertently making some of the first wine in Australia. Today, the garden contains over 50 varieties of
French grapes. His cultivation of his gardens also extended to apricots, plums, figs peaches and
nectarines, which he and his wife, Frances, planted in a market garden along with ornamental flowers
and shrubs.
Heritage Steps to Mount Olympus Tempe House From Mount Olympus
Heritage Gardens
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‘Mount Olympus’, an artificial rocky knoll on the south eastern side of Tempe House, was named in line
with the Grecian motif that Spark bestowed on the estate. It was built to facilitate a picturesque
backdrop to his villa. The hill contains a small grove of eucalyptus that are visible from the Princes
Highway. Mount Olympus sits at the top of the Mount Olympus Heritage Gardens, constructed to
preserve the natural surroundings and for visitors. As part of the housing development, the gardens also
provide a modicum of open space between the modern high rises. Australand (who obtained Tempe
Estate after Qantek’s occupation) and Marrickville Heritage Society work in conjunction to maintain the
gardens and to preserve the natural plants that remain.
After the subdivision of land and the building of the high rise flats in 2002, the remaining grounds in the
Tempe Estate primarily contain the large open lawn in the front of the house, and trees on the fringe of
the estate.
1839 Dam
The Cooks River circa 1860 by Samuel Charles Brees
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Built with quarried stone from the local cliffs, the dam began construction in 1839 and was completed in
1841. It was built by convict labour, and served to enhance the Estate’s vast view of the landscape. The
Cooks River Dam, as it became known, was necessary at the time for a source of fresh water in Sydney,
especially as the prior import of water from Lachlan Swamps and Tank Stream became inefficient. The
convenience of the Cooks River in its location and placement also made this an obvious choice. The
severe drought of this time also was a pressing concern for Sydney.
In 1838, following review of the Cooks River by Colonial Engineer Major George Barney, it was
determined that damming the river would go to preventing the ingress of salt water. Upon consultation
with Alexander Sparks, as it would cut through a portion of Tempe Estate and required the demolition of
the Bathing House, construction was approved and underway.
The construction of the dam also came with an access road that linked Tempe Estate to broader Sydney,
eventually making Spark’s ferrying journey across the river obsolete. This led to the subsequent ease of
access and building of various stables and other constructions on the estate.
While the dam wall provided a source of traffic to and from Sydney to Illawarra, heavy rains often
flooded it, overflowing the dam with negative consequences including flooding, damage to property,
destruction of native marine life, and water pollution.
“Major Barney called on me afterwards in town and said that if I did not
object to it the dam might be run across below the Bathing house, and
the only apprehension was that my garden might be flooded. To be
surrounded with the fresh water instead of salt would be highly
desirable and I did not object to his proposal if he could previously
ascertain that no bad consequences would follow.”
Extracted from Spark’s Diary in 1838
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Moreover, the primary purpose of the dam to provide for fresh drinking water also failed, as water
upstream was brackish and unsuitable for drinking. Flooding, which was thought to flush the saline
water, only served to further exacerbate the cesspool, and water contamination in 1896 lead to Typhoid
in swimmers downstream. The dam was eventually demolished between 1896 and 1899.
Alexander Spark Alexander Brodie Smith was a prominent Sydney
merchant and businessman best known for his
interest in land, his business in chartering wool and
other products back to London, as well as his work
in Court.
Spark was born in in 1792 Scotland, and spent his
early life being educated in his hometown of Elgin.
In his travelling in 1820, he met William
Wordsworth, famous Romantic poet.
Spark’s later life in Australia afforded him the
prominence that he currently has.
Life in Australia
After deciding to establish business in Australia, he
set sail from Europe on the Princess Charlotte,
arriving in Sydney in 1823 as a free settler. His initial
business was set up on George Street, where he
made a living selling sugar, wine and draperies, as well as supplying salted meat to the commissariat in
Sydney and Paramatta. His business picked up, and subsequently he expanded his scope to coastal trade
routes, chartering ships to transport stores from parts of Australia to the other. This also expanded to
other products, including wool consignments and produce to various parts of the world in a shipping
agency. This is when he also extended to providing settlers with livestock and necessities to establishing
their livelihoods, while selling their produce. The natural extension to land saw Spark become a
significant land owner, with over 6000 acres on the Hunters River and 9 acres at Woolloomooloo.
It is during this period that he initially met architect John Verge, who designed his first house, Tusculum
at Woolloomooloo Hill, the present day Potts Point.
Alexander Brodie Spark
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Beside his business activities, Spark also found time to dabble in the growing legal sphere in Sydney.
Serving as a foreman in 1826 and a justice of the peace in 1827, he became closely integrated into the
committee of the Agricultural Society and the Chamber of Commerce, as well as more gratuitous causes
such as the Scots Church, the Benevolent Society and the Female School of Industry. Spark’s networking
also saw his close connection with the governors of Sydney, playing a large role in the shaping of Sydney
through his position as Bank of Australia’s managing director in 1832.
Connection to Tempe House
In 1828, Spark decided to build a retreat from the bustle of the city on the idyllic Packer’s farm. At the
height of his career in business, he designed a country residence complete with a vineyard and orchard.
This place, Tempe Estate, become more instrumental as he entertained guests that he knew from
business connections, as well as his role as the treasurer of Australian Gaslight Co, director in insurance
companies and investor in steam navigation companies.
The design of the house reflects the grandeur of the owner, where the large colonial setting became
perfect for Spark’s associates, including fellow free settler and author, James Mudie. It was in this period
that Spark became disillusioned in his Presbyterian faith, turning instead to the Church of England. He
helped to fund the building of St Peter’s Anglican Church in Cooks River, now in St Peters.
By 1939, at the beginning of the dam being built, Spark became even more prominent in his business
holdings, being more involved in banking corporations and extending his land ownership to Melbourne
and Victoria.
Later Life
In 1840, Spark extended his land holdings to New Zealand, and married Frances Maria, née Biddulph,
who was a widow of Dr Henry Wyatt Radford. However, the difficult financial situation in late 1840, with
the devaluing of pastoral leases saw Spark go bankrupt and have to mortgage his town house, Tusculum,
as well as selling some of his land and assets.
Despite being insolvent, Spark managed to retain hold of Tempe House where he lived the remainder of
his live with his wife and children, until his death in 1956.
Legacy
Despite his prominence as a businessman and his acumen, Spark never achieved the historical
significance of other Australian figures. He was relatively uncontroversial, and remained personally
divorced from society.
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John Verge John Verge was a prominent colonial architect
in Australia that designed and built Tempe
House. Many of his remaining works are listed
on various heritage registers, a testament to his
skill and ability.
Early Life
Born in Britain as in a line of stonemasons,
Verge was well acquainted with architecture by
the time he settled in Australia in 1828.
However, his initial pursuit in Australia was in
pastoral land ownership, rather than building.
Following his inability to raise funding, Verge
took to design in 1830, when colonial Sydney
most required his work. It was in this period
between 1830 and 1834 that his greatest
designs were created, and the majority of his
well known buildings were constructed.
Architectural Work and Style
Verge’s architectural style has been described as competent, yet eclectic. He was frequented by
prominent businessmen and colonists in the 1830s, commissioned to design, amongst others, a number
of the Villas of Woolloomooloo; Rockwall, Tusculum, and Goderich Lodge. Most notable in most of his
designs is the classical Grecian motif, with wide verandas emphasized by Doric columns. This Georgian
inspiration is evident in Tempe House, where the pastoral landscape paired with the classical style
enhanced the grandeur of the setting.
Verge also practiced other styles, including other Regency and Gothic designs for various establishments,
including St Mary the Virgin’s chapel. Verge’s work as a colonial architect placed him perhaps as the
most esteemed designer for domestic and professional architecture, sought after by important figures,
amongst them Alexander Spark, who commissioned Tusculum, and Tempe House.
He also designed a prefabricated British Residency in Waitangi, New Zealand, perhaps the first architect‐
designed building in the country.
John Verge
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Camden Park Estate
Camden Park is undoubtably Verge’s masterpiece. Designed in 1831 for John McArthur, it sits on the
NSW State Heritage Register today. As a sweeping estate, it is reminiscent of Tempe House in its
symbolic representation of wealth: the lifestyle engendered by the colonial houses that Verge built
revealed the extravagant wealth of such residents, epitomizing the successes of free settlers.
Elizabeth Bay House
Another prominent architectural masterpiece, Elizabeth Bay House has been recognized on the
Australian National Heritage Register. Originally a private residence for the owner, esteemed public
official Alexander Macleay, the House overlooks Sydney Harbour. Originally designed to take advantage
of the famous landscaped gardens, it was dubbed ‘the finest house in the colony’. The lavish interior,
which includes sweeping staircases, beget the luxuries afforded to the Macleays. The house also reflects
Verge’s architectural style, and remains as one of his best known works. Today it is open as a Living
Museum.
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Tempe House
Designed in 1834, Spark’s Tempe House was a small Regency Villa for the purposes of relaxation. A
ferme ornee, it is certainly not the most significant of Verge’s designs. However, it is a rare example of
his colonial style and remains one of the last vestiges of his work. The stucco structure and Arcadian
influence is reminiscent of his other architectural works, with the façade designed in a similar vein.
Greenbank Following Spark’s death in October 1856, the estate was subdivided into smaller suburban lots in
December 1856. However, lack of interest saw a reallocation of the division, separating out the main
house and surrounding 11 acres into one lot.
The entire estate was bought for 2000 pounds by brothers Patrick and Thomas Maguire, who never lived
on the estate themselves, but rented it out to wealthy tenants, the most notable being Caroline
Chisholm, who used it as a boarding school for troubled young ladies from 1863 to 1865. The brothers
owned Tempe for 30 years. This period of its history was known as Greenbank.
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Allotments of Tempe House divided for Sale in 1883
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Caroline Chisholm
Caroline Chisholm was an English
philanthropist that is best known for her
gratuitous work assisting young women,
especially female immigrants in Australia.
Born in 1808 England to an Evangelist
farming family, she married Catholic soldier
Captain Archibald Chisholm. Upon
marrying when she was 22, she converted
to Catholicism. When her husband was
posted to Madras India, she founded the
Female School of Industry for the
Daughters of European Soldiers in 1834
after noticing that young girls were not
able to obtain education due to their
surroundings. The school provided a
practical education for women, and taught
wives of soldiers as well.
Following her husband’s illness leave, they vacationed in Sydney Australia, arriving on the Emerald Isle in
October 1838. In their time in Sydney, Caroline noticed the dire state of many immigrant women:
without money, friends or family, many faced prostitutions as their only alternative for living. When her
husband left to return to India for work, he encouraged her to remain and continue her philanthropic
work in Australia supporting these women. She brought many girls into her household, and found
positions for them to work in Australia.
In January 1841, Caroline approached Governor Gipps, his wife and Sydney Herald to establish a girls’
home, the Female Immigrants Home to support immigrant women, funded by public subscription. The
success of this also led to her integrating men into the program as well. This helped to alleviate issues
with labor shortages in rural Australia. Caroline was so effective at integrating these women into rural
life and occupations that within one year of commencement, she announced the closing of the home in
her report Female Immigration, Considered in a Brief Account of the Sydney Immigrants’ Home 1842. Her
work continued in her establishment of the Caroline Chisholm Cottage in March 1842 in East Maitland. It
was a hostel for homeless immigrants, helping them find employment.
Caroline Chisholm
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Caroline attempted multiple times to settle families into land with long leases, but this was rejected by
committees on distressed labourers due to land‐owners fearing for the proposed prosperity of the
occupants. In the period between 1841‐1844, it is estimated that she helped to settle 14,000 people into
employment and areas which these people otherwise would not have been able to.
Caroline’s help to immigrants made her popular over the 7 years that she worked until 1845, when her
husband returned to Australia, invalided out of the army. In her time working, she placed over 11,000
people into homes and jobs, refusing to accept money from individuals or organizations as she wanted
to remain independent from the influence of other stakeholders. When her husband returned, they
travelled Australia, collecting over 600 statements from settled immigrants about their experience to
bring back to England. This was published in Comfort for the Poor! Meat Three Times a Day!! Voluntary
Information From the People of New South Wales (1847). This was picked up by Charles Dickens, when
he advertised the society in Household Words. Her work in this sphere also extended to lobbying Earl
A depiction of the Female Immigrants Home in the
London News, 1853
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Grey and James Stephen of the House of Lords Select Committee, earning free passage for emancipists'
wives in the Asia and Waverley, and for seventy‐five children left behind in the Sir Edward Parry to
Australia.
In 1949, she founded the Family Colonisation Loan Society, with the backing of Lord Shaftesbury, Sir
Sidney Herbert and Wyndham Harding FRS. Lord Ashley was president of the London committee, and
the society had agents in the British Isles and in Australia. The society gave loans to emigrants for half of
the fare to Australia, to be repaid in 2 years upon arrival. It found accommodation on ships, and
extended to chartering their own ships to transport emigrants. Caroline’s insistence on superior living
conditions lead to standardization of other naval living situations in the Passengers Act 1852. Once in
Australia, emigrants repaid their loans in installments, with a reserve fund in the event of default or
death.
Her gratuitous work made her famous in Europe,
allowing her to tour in 1852 to give emigration
lectures in Germany, France and Italy. Here, she met
Pope Pious IX, who presented her with a Papal Medal
and a bust of herself to commemorate her work. As a
colonial agent engaged in philanthropic service,
supporters such as WS Lindsay built a ship, the
Caroline Chisholm, and Angelo Collen Hayter’s portrait
of her hung in the 1852 Royal Academy Exhibition.
Charles Dickens even based elements of his character
Mrs Jellyby, from Bleak House upon her.
In 1854, Caroline boarded the Ballarat back to
Australia, and toured the Victorian goldfields. In
noticing the conditions of the living conditions, she
proposed constructing ‘shelter sheds’ for prospectors
and their families to the government, which was
enacted in 1855. Money received from the Victorian
Legislative Council went towards establishing a store
in Kyneton. Her passion in making land more available
to local migrants saw her give public lectures on the
topic in Sydney from 1959‐1961, while also battling
kidney disease. It was in this period of financial and
physical difficulty that she opened a girls school in
Newtown, which was moved to Tempe.
Extracts from Chisholm’s scrapbook
regarding her proposition for
Shelter Sheds
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Connection to Tempe House
From 1863 to 1865, Chisholm leased Tempe House as a boarding school for young women. While this
constituted a miniscule element of Tempe House’s history and is a rather insignificant portion of
Caroline Chisholm’s life, the connection between the estate and the respectable people which it has
encountered gives weight to the historical significance of the house. This has contributed to its gravity
on the NSW State Heritage Register as well as its prominence to Bayside Council.
“EDUCATION – Mrs. CAROLINE CHISHOLM begs to intimate to her
friends and the public that, she will shortly remove her EDUCATIONAL
ESTABLISHMENT for YOUNG LADIES to that delightfully‐situated
residence, Green Bank, Tempe, Cook’s River, formerly the property of A.
B. Sparke, Esq., when she will be able to receive a few more additional
pupils.
The rooms of the house are spacious, lofty, and well ventilated, and the
out‐buildings are excellent. There are about twelve acres of pleasure
grounds and gardens attached, with a fine, large, and open orchard of
fruit trees, intersected by wide and body walks. There is also a good
bath‐house adjoining the house, where the young ladies will have the
further benefit of sea‐bathing, as often as may be deemed desirable.
Buses run from Sydney and Newtown, to within five minutes’ walk of
Tempe.”
Sydney Morning Herald, Monday 13 April 1863
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Chisholm’s Legacy
Caroline Chisholm has a legacy as a social worker and philanthropist advocating for migrants rights have
made her well acclaimed in Australia. A notable reflection of her work was her inclusion on the
Australian $5 note from 1967 to 1991, which also depicted the Female Immigrants Home that she
established.
Other acknowledgements of her gratuitous work appear in Henry Kendall’s 1862 poem on her, as well as
other physical monuments such as a suburb in Canberra, a Federal Electorate, a memorial plaque, a
memorial church in NSW, a number of educational institutes, a charitable society supporting pregnant
women and parents of young children, Australian stamps, a musical on her life titled Caroline by Pinne
and Battye, as well as a number of novels and historical texts outlining her life.
St Magdalene’s Chapel In 1885, the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of St Benedict bought 8 acres of Tempe Estate, including the
villa. They ran a laundry on site, and built a church, St Magdalene’s Chapel. This became a hallmark of
the estate, especially as the Sisters of the Good Samaritan occupied the estate for approximate a
century. The catholic nuns staffed women from the country, as well as women deemed to be in ‘moral
danger’, and taught them domestic skills which would enhance their life.
Australian $5 note (1967‐1991) detailing Caroline
Chisholm and the Female Immigration Home
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History
When the Sisters bought the lot in 1889, they built a number of subsidiary and additional buildings,
outside of the primary St Magdalene’s chapel, most of which were determined insignificant and
demolished prior to redevelopment. St Magdalene’s chapel architecturally is reminiscent of Victorian
Gothic architecture.
Prior to occupation, the Sisters ran a refuge for women ‘at risk of sin’; predominantly young women and
mothers initially located in the Pitt St Carters’ Barracks. Upon raising enough money to build and
purchase the land, they moved to Tempe, which could accommodate to 40 penitents. By 1900, over 100
people worked in accommodation and laundries on site.
The shifting perspective over time also led to a changing focus for the chapel. The purpose of the
laundry gradually changed from supporting destitute women to who were unable to find employment
and in danger of prostitution. These people were accommodated for by the sisters and taught a variety
of skills. While initially the women were volunteers, increasing paranoia and governmental paternalism
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saw security increase to installing a double corrugated fence 10 feet high around the dormitory and
laundry. The emphasis on academic skill brought about by the 1929 changes to the Child Welfare Act
also focused teaching efforts on skills other than domestic ones.
By 1944, St Magdalene’s Chapel evolved yet again to cater towards delinquent girls in a quasi‐
rehabilitation and training center to re‐education young women into society. While its function has
changed over the years, the primary focus of helping and assisting girls has not deterred.
A century later, in 1989, the Sisters sold Tempe Estate to Qantek, a subsidiary of Qantas who wished to
convert the area into a training and administrative centre, before it was placed on the NSW State
Register for its importance and historical significance.
St Magdalene’s Chapel
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Description
The initial construction of St Magdalene’s Chapel, the surrounding penitentiary, laundries and
accommodation are thought to be from prominent architectural firm architects Sherrin and Hennessy.
From the 1940s, when the estate housed delinquent girls, additional amenities, including a swimming
pool and a chaplains residence were added.
The chapel itself is constructed from red and cream bricks. The sandstone details, as well as the stained
glass windows reflect Victorian Gothic heritage, with the interior containing a singular large room.
It is currently used as a community facility, with children’s’ playgroups every week.
NSW State Heritage Listing Following Australand’s redevelopment of the land, Tempe Estate was listed on the NSW State
Heritage Register for its historical significance, as well as its connection with renowned personalities
which have inhabited or contributed to the Estate.
In accordance with the State Heritage Register Criteria, Tempe Estate has prominent historical
significance, associative significance, aesthetic significance, social significance, research potential and
rarity. In assessing this, an examination of the holistic history of the Estate is taken into consideration.
The fact that the Estate has barely changed in its entire history, and remains intact from the 1830s. Its
connection to Alexander Brodie Spark, as well as John Verge also establish its place within colonial
history, with the landscape represented in numerous depictions on paint. This associative significance
with its early colonial history, as well as its later association with Caroline Chisholm make Tempe
House unique in its history. Moreover, the aesthetic value of the landscape, as well as the unique
architecture of both Tempe House (in a Grecian style) and St Magdalene’s Chapel (in Victorian Gothic
fashion) represent varied manners of buildings. Its social significance, especially its connection with
education and social welfare under both Chisholm and the Sisters of the Good Samaritan Order, as
well as its research potential given its close connection to colonial history, afford the estate a
rareness that is unlike other structures. All of these factors have allowed for the Estate to appear on
the State Heritage Register.
Legacy Over its history, Tempe House has evolved through a number of positions, both in its use as well as its
purpose. Today, it remains a reminder of Australian history that is accessible to the public. Being able
to see and to visit the Estate, to learn about its history and ownership has been truly remarkable. The
wide variety of residents and associations, many who are significant in shaping Sydney, whether that
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be from a business perspective, or advocating for migrant rights, has reminded the populace of
growth of Bayside Council, and Sydney over time. The centuries that the building has remained, and
the phases that it has witnessed, which give rise to its eclectic story, provokes in the minds of visitors
the years in the future that it will continue to witness. No doubt, Tempe House will continue to stand
as a testament to the growth of Sydney from colonial history.
26
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28
Acknowledgements I would like to extend my gratitude to my family for supporting me and endeavoring me to complete
this essay. I likely would have not finished had they not encouraged me. I’d also like to thank the Ron
Rathbone Local History Prize organizers for coordinating the competition and making it possible for
me to enter. This also extends to the judges, whom I’m grateful to have read my work.
Being able to research on this topic is an absolute privilege, and I have learned a lot about local
Bayside Council history in the process. Being able to interact with these pieces of history, and seeing
the intertwining nature of vastly disparate personalities had made me realize how small our world
really is. The connection between these people may only be Tempe House, yet this enduring feature
reconciles a number of different histories. Being able to explore all of these has only been made
possible by the vast spread of information propagated by the internet, as well as library systems.
Thank you for reading my work.
