Seaforth, a coastal holiday town, is 35 km north-west of Mackay. It is situated on a long sandy bay enclosed by forested headlands and a backdrop of forested hills. It was named by pioneer sugar planters and mill owners, John McBryde and Hector Finlayson, after Seaforth, Scotland.
Situated well away from the North Coast railway line and cane farm tramlines, Seaforth largely remained a coastal watering place and local holiday destination. A primary school opened in 1935. The town became more populated in the 1960s, although many dwellings are holiday homes; the 1991 census recorded nearly 400 dwellings, but more than half were unoccupied on census night. By the 2011 census dwellings numbered 522 and the proportion of unoccupied dwellings had fallen to 42.9% showing an increase in the permanent population.
Seaforth has bowling and boating clubs, a public hall, caravan park, outdoor recreation centre, two general stores and a few local businesses. Its census populations have been:
| Census Date | Population |
|---|---|
| 1921 | 25 |
| 1961 | 41 |
| 1966 | 146 |
| 1981 | 366 |
| 2001 | 523 |
| 2006 | 613 |
| 2011 | 788 |
