Seaforth McKenzie the KING of Penguin Island

Rockingham a town 45 minutes south of Perth. Amongst the beautiful award winning sandy beaches, the many restaurants, including three Gold Plate award winners, situated in a row on the foreshore.  The wineries, the events, the dolphins frolicking in the ocean, Penguin Island, Seal Island and Garden Island, and the many splendid things to do either as a resident, holiday maker or day tripper.

Few people are aware that if you went for a visit to Penguin Island that you were walking into a palace, a royal palace at that.   Let me introduce you, “His Royal Highness, The king of Penguin Island, King Seaforth McKenzie”, an eccentric Canadian, who lived on the Island, from 1914 to 1926.

Paul Seaforth McKenzie was born in Novia Scotia, Canada, in 1853, he left home at 18 and traveled extensively, landing in Australia to recuperate from a fever he contracted in China.    In Sydney 1876 he married Sarah Stanner. Seaforth took his family and moved them to New Zealand, by that time he and Sarah had five children, in 1886 their youngest, Mildred, was seriously injured when Mt Tarawera erupted.

In 1890 Seaforth went to work one day and just simply “forgot” to go home again, effectively abandoning his family, he stated when asked four decades later, “that he simply had a lapse of memory at the time”.   

His nomadic lifestyle continued and it is unsure of when he arrived in WA, but we are aware that he worked in places such as Muchea, and other regional areas, he also was a builder having built several three-roomed villas in Osborne Park.

Seaforth squatted on Penguin Island about 1914 and traveled back and forth between Safety Bay, Garden Island and Penguin Island.   Penguin Island was gazetted as a reserve for the public to use in 1918, a annual lease was granted to Seaforth, he wanted to build a holiday resort on the island and place himself in the role of host and caretaker.

Being a builder and dreamer he started to build “rooms” in the limestone caves, he extended some of the caves and just built some new ones.  The rooms were made for campers, with shelves, fireplaces and rock ledges that were turned into beds.   Being safety aware he placed hessian sheets under the ceilings to catch falling sand and rocks.    He named these rooms himself, Fairhaven, Tudor Hall, The Palace and The Library and for himself he built a iron and timber room and called it Manor House. Some of the “rooms” are still visible today

When arriving at Penguin Island visitors were expected to follow the etiquette of the day and seek the permission of Seaforth prior to landing on the island, but once ashore he treated people with the up-most respect and ceremony.  His best performance was kept for the ladies, though often the women hoped he would forgo this event, he would as each lady arrived on shore, walk to her, bend down in front of her and kiss her hand.

Some of the activities planned on the island may have included penguin races or public speeches on good conduct.    Visitors were on a honesty system and any supplies needed were available in a cave made especially for stores, one just had to go and help themselves and run their own accounts and payment.

Some say he was a gentleman others say he was argumentative and could threaten violence.   One person who used to row with him for supplies remembers his temper quite vividly, whilst a note in the visitors book at Penguin Island states “An island cool at all times, but the same cannot be said our host, who always extends a most warm welcome”.    Maybe it had something to do with the sex you were, as Seaforth had no problem “escorting” women over to the Island after hours for some one on one entertainment.   Considering the reputation that this would leave a woman of that day, he still had many women willing for the adventure, such was the way of an eccentric charmer.

What was started as a joke amongst the regular visitors to Penguin Island soon became the “event” that was to be the crowning of “Seaforth The First”, king of Penguin Island.   He considered this a huge compliment and a most happy and auspicious occasion, one of, which is family of whom he forgot in 1890, did not share with him.

Paul Seaforth McKenzie was crowned in a grand ceremony, conducted in Manor House. Seaforth wore a cape around his shoulder and was seated in a throne.  Ivy in the shape of a crown was carried on a cushion by eight year old Isobel Warne, who wore a simple white nightgown.   Isobel knelt in front of the “archbishop” who raised the crown and placed it on Seaforths head and then tapped three times with his staff and proclaimed “Paul Seaforth McKenzie the King of Penguin Island”.  

A celebration was held to acknowledge the event, with food and wine and a toast to the new king, of which promptly made His Royal Highness King Seaforth, burst into tears. 

He was born into this role and promptly went about utilizing it in his everyday life on Penguin Island, he would look after his guests or as he stated his subjects wholeheartedly.   McKenzie was a wonderful king who watched over the island and insured at all times that his guests were behaving themselves.  He commanded his guests to attend functions, such as concerts, poetry readings, dances and sing a longs around the campfire, one would receive a invitation “by royal command”, guests stated that these were fun and romantic evenings, all by starlight and campfires.    At dances he would command his “princesses” of which he called all women guests, to dance with him.   These functions would start only after the national anthem was sung, God Save the King.

Seaforth’s reign ended for unknown reasons in 1926, when his lease on Penguin Island was terminated. He brought land at Mersey Point and built a home and shop there.   In 1932 he went back to New Zealand and reunited with his family, his forty five year absence explained away to his family by stating “he just regained his memory’”.    Two of his daughters were living in poverty so he went and purchased each of them a home of their own.  He continued to live with his family until his death in 1939.

Today Penguin Island is a tourist destination of which no one lives on, is protected by Calm and is visited by many thousands of people every year.  Penguin Island houses a wonderful and informative penguin enclosure, which conducts feeding displays a number of times a day, lovely bush walks, caves, fantastic diving and snorkeling locations and so much more for the family to do and entertain themselves.   

Perhaps explore and see if you can locate the rooms/caves or even where manor house once stood.  If you are a gentleman you may wish to copy the ways of gone by years and greet lady visitors on one knee and with a kiss of the hand, but then women today would feel the same as they did in 1890 and perhaps you should not

A day trip to Penguin Island is worth all the joy, the history, the flora and fauna and the FUN that you will encounter at such a fantastic destination.