St Magdalenes Chapel - Tempe Estate

I went for a cycle this morning and happened to stumble on this chapel. St Magdalenes Chapel was used by Caroline Chisholm and the Sister's of The Good Samaritan Order who purchased the estate on the bank of Cooks River in 1884.

The estate became a retreat for women and initially they were free to come and go but later when, it was occupied by "women at risk", this freedom was lost. In 1944 it was used for delinquent girls.

According to the NSW Government website, the chapel is"the only remaining building from the long period of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan Order's ownership, the St. Magdalen's Chapel, is of high social significance and represents the philosophy and religious beliefs of what was a large and rare charitable institution operating throughout the late 19th and 20th century."

The Sisters of the Good Samaritan sold the site in 1983.