Tempe House will open its doors to the public on Sunday, August 7.
The house was built in 1836 by Alexander Brodie Spark, an immigrant from Scotland.
It was named after the 'Vale of Tempe', a valley set at the foot of Mount Olympus in Greece, which was prominent in ancient Greek legend.
It was designed by John Verge who took inspiration from the Georgian style.
The building remains largely intact and is constructed from traditional bearing walls, timber floors and roof framing.
It is considered one of the great houses in Sydney because of its history.
Caroline Chisholm, the renowned philanthropist who appeared on the old five dollar note, leased the house in 1863 and ran an educational establishment for young ladies on the site.
In 1884 Catholic nuns bought the site for a women’s refuge and built St Magdalene’s Chapel.
The Good Samaritan Order remained in ownership of the estate for over 100 years until 1989 when it was sold to Qantek, a branch of Qantas.
1990 saw a permanent Conservation order established for Tempe Estate, including the house and surrounding grounds to the riverfront.
Both the house and the chapel will be open to the public from 10am to 4pm on Sunday, August 7.
