It is 162.4 km (100.9 mi) from the closest island, Loa Boloba, which is a tiny coral islet within the fringing reef near Cape Deliverance, the south east point of Rossel Island (Yela) in the Louisiade Archipelago, and belongs to Milne Bay province, Samarai-Murua District, Yaleyamba Rural Local Level Government Area.

The Earl of Hardwick (280 tons) was on the way from Newcastle, New South Wales, with a cargo of coal to Hong Kong in 1862 when it was wrecked on 10 June.

[8] Captain Largie, of the Woodlark, ship, bound from Brisbane to Hong Kong: reported sighted a vessel ashore at the south-west end of the Pocklington Reef.

She had nothing standing but the mizzen mast and bowsprit, and evidently had been on the reef some time [9] HMS Renard under the command of Lieutenant G.E.

[10] On 28 April 1962, the Panamanian vessel SS Dona Ourania (8,716 tons)[11] grounded on Pocklington Reef.

An Australian naval vessel visited the site soon after and it was reported a concealed electronic monitoring device was found there.