The village lies roughly halfway between the estuary of Blueskin Bay and the mouth of the Waikouaiti River at Karitane, on the eastern slopes of Kilmog hill.

The hospital was designed by architect Robert Lawson and managed for many years by Sir Frederic Truby King, who also founded New Zealand's Plunket, a post-natal health charity.

In 1942, just prior to Frame's first admission, the mental institution was the site of one of the nation's major disasters when a massive fire engulfed the fifth ward, resulting in the death of 37 of the 39 female residents who remained locked in their cells.

Seacliff Lunatic Asylum was long affected by structural issues as a result of its poor foundation, which ultimately contributed to its relocation to Cherry Farm.

One of Seacliff's claims to fame is the town's victory in the inaugural championship of New Zealand's annual knockout football competition, the 1923 Chatham Cup, wherein the locals beat Wellington's YMCA four goals to nil.