Penguin Island Kitchen & Store Cave

Statement of Significance

• the place has aesthetic value as a collection of simple coastal caves, both naturally occurring or excavated, that reveal a rough simplicity in the rugged landscape. • the place has historic value for its association with Paul Seaforth McKenzie who developed the island as a holiday destination from 1914 to 1926. • the place has social value for the community for its association with the well- known character, Seaforth MacKenzie, and for its ongoing function as a tourist destination. • the place has potential research value for its potential to reveal archaeological information about its former use and construction during the 1920s.

Physical Description

Limestone caves on the eastern side of the island previously converted to basic accommodation and now in their natural state. Access is no longer provided to the caves due to the dangerous condition of the rocky overhang. The majority of caves retain their open entrances but a number of them have fencing and walls and reinforcement. A well is located to the south of the caves which has filled with sand. Interpretative signage marks the location of the well. Shelves have been dug into the walls of the cave, and the remains of a rough hand-carved inscription can be seen in one cave.

History

Paul Seaforth McKenzie (1853-1939) a native of Canada arrived in Western Australia sometime c1900 and after travelling around the state squatted intermittently in Penguin Island from around 1914. After the Island was gazetted a reserve for public use in 1918, an annual lease was granted to McKenzie. He planned to develop a holiday resort on the Island, with himself as caretaker and host. McKenzie utilized the limestone caves on the Island as accommodation. Using tools and explosives to extend some, and excavating a number of new ones. Some were equipped for campers, with a fireplace, shelves, and rock ledges where bedding could be placed. Hessian sheets were hung from the ceiling to catch falling sand. The caves had grand names such as ‘Fairhaven’ and ‘Tudor Hall’, while McKenzie lived in the timber and iron ‘Manor Hall’. A small cave housed McKenzie’s store where an honour system operated. He also had a library that he made freely available to visitors. Stones led into a cave which protected the visitor’s drinking water, and food needing cool storage could also be kept there. McKenzie had a well that supplied brackish water for washing. In 1926, McKenzie’s lease at Penguin Island was terminated. He bought land at Mersey Point, Safety Bay, where he built a house and a shop. In 1932, he travelled to New Zealand where members of his family lived. He settled there until his death in 1939. The entrance to the Kitchen/Store Cave had a manmade doorway built into it. This cave was used for camping by many visitors to the Island and later was the home of Tom Polland and his family during the Depression years of the early 1930s. The well (1m x 1m x 2m in depth) was neatly and precisely cut out of the limestone on Penguin Island. The well was used as a source of fresh water for campers during Seaforth McKenzie’s time on the Island and by squatters during the Depression years. The island is now a protected reserve which is accessed by day trippers by a short ferry ride from the mainland.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Moderate Degree Authenticity: Moderate Degree

Condition

Good

Uses

Creation Date

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