and newel posts have historical association with Dorman Long & Co, designers and manufacturers of the footbridge. The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales. The Tempe Railway Station 1884 platform buildings are of aesthetic significance as fine intact examples of vernacular railway platform buildings of the late Victorian period with some Victorian Rustic Gothic style influence. The 1918 steel footbridge and stairs are of aesthetic significance as an intact representative footbridge structure designed and manufactured by Dorman Long & Co and are a landmark structure within the relatively visually isolated setting of the station. Tempe Railway Station is also of aesthetic significance for its interesting setting, with open space to the west, the Cooks River to the south, and a densely built up residential area to the east. The place has strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. The place has the potential to contribute to the local community's sense of place, and can provide a connection to the local community's past. The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. The two 2nd class brick platform buildings are rare as Tempe is one of only 3 stations on the Illawarra line retaining platform buildings of this period and type (the others being Arncliffe and Sydenham), and the only station with two extant largely intact buildings of this period. The original 1918 overhead booking office is now considered rare (despite recladding). The extant exterior and interior detailing of the 1884 platform buildings at Tempe is considered rare on the Illawarra line. The 1918 steel footbridge and stairs are considered rare for their level of intactness. The overhead booking office, originally one of 45 similar offices, is now considered rare (despite recladding). The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales. The 1918 footbridge and stairs are representative of Dorman Long & Co steel footbridge and stair structures of this period (30 such footbridges were built from 1909 to 1935, 28 in the Sydney metropolitan area). The 1884 platform buildings are representative of vernacular late Victorian period railway buildings (one of a set including St Peters, Sydenham) of 1880s railway platform buildings