Welcome to Saint Michael The Archangel Chapel in Rookwood Cemetery
The cache is not at this location. A puzzle must be solved, with the cache located a short distance away.
Designed in the mid 1880’s and built in the Gothic revival style, the chapel has its origins with the nearby cemetery station. Its crypt area was used for storage of coffins before burial. The chapel remains in operation for funerals.
Above the church you will see the statue of the Archangel. It was destroyed by lightning and a replacement was installed in the 1960’s. This was also damaged by lightning in January 1995. You might prefer to look for other caches if a storm looks likely! The replacement stature was erected in 2009.
Extensive restoration was carried out in 1989-1990 to celebrate the chapel’s centenary.
A self-guided tour of this part of the cemetery takes about 1 hour. You will find the pamphlet on the wall of the building to the south of the chapel.
Photo Credit Kerrie in Sydney
Finding the Cache
You will need to solve 6 pieces of the puzzle by close observation of the chapel.
A – Count the number of stained glass windows on the western side of the chapel. The find A take away 4 from this number.
B – Find the number in Roman Numerals above the front door. To find B take away 7 from this number.
C – On the western side of the chapel paving stones leading to the steps. How many pavers are there (The one which is made of four pieces counts as one). To find C take away 16 from this number.
D – Find the door on the north east side of the chapel at the top of the steps. Count the number of pieces of wood where you can see the full width. To find D, take way 9 from this number
E – Across the road to the east is a red cover. What is the number in the first line. To find E double this number.
F – Go to the back of the church where you will find two doors leading to the crypt below the church. There is a padlock which has a series of numbers around the keyhole. To find F add the numbers together but do not include the first number after B on the padlock.
The cache is found at
S33 52.ABC E 151 03. DEF
Look for a starting clue from the statue of the Archangel. It will give you a general starting direction.
The Friends of Rookwood conduct regular tours which you might enjoy.
Congratulations to Team Canary for the persistent FTF.