[2] There are three small towns in Gladstone Harbour, all on Facing Island: Northcliffe, Farmers Point and Gatcombe.

Quoin Island is in the middle of Gladstone Harbour is approx 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) in length.

It is thought the island was so named because its shape resembled a quoin used in conjunction with cannons.

[12][13][14] Facing Island was named on 6 August 1802 by Matthew Flinders on his voyage on HMS Investigator (1801) to map the coastline of New Holland (as the continent of Australia was then called).

[5] The Quoin Island Turtle Rehabilitation Centre opened in March 2012; it has holding tanks, swimming pools and treatment rooms to support the recovery and rehabilitation of up to 10 injured native turtles.

[1] The Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race takes place annually at Easter with the yachts leaving Brisbane from the Shorncliffe pier in Moreton Bay on Good Friday arriving one to two days later (depending on ocean and weather conditions) in Gladstone Harbour, just off Auckland Creek.

[20] The arrival of the yachts and the presentation of trophies to the winners occurs as part of the Gladstone Harbour Festival.