The suburb was formally established in 1962 as a rural townsite, focused around Quinns Beach, the area's main amenity.

The suburb takes its name from the offshore reef first noted during a coastline traverse by Assistant Surveyor James Cowle in 1867.

[3] Cowle was continuing a survey begun by Robert Quin, who had reached a spot about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south-east of the rocks in 1866.

An alternate namesake is Mick Quinn, a sheep tender who worked for the Mindarie Pastoral Company in the early 1900s.

[4] In 1930, the whole beachfront came under the control of the Wanneroo Road Board, which issued "boatshed and campsite permits" to holidaymakers at a rental of $4.20[dubious – discuss] per annum.

The subdivision was extended northwards in the early 1960s and Quinns Rocks was declared a townsite under the Local Government Act on 27 July 1962.

The area is characterized by rolling hills and roads, overhead power lines on wooden poles, few pavements and many unique houses with distinct architectural designs dating from the 1960s and 1970s.

It is distinguished from "Old Quinns" by underground power lines, cul-de-sac street systems and modern bungalow housing.

All major immigrant groups in Quinns are from Anglophone countries (e.g. United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand) with 19.7% of the population born in the UK, a roughly averarage proportion compared to the nearby suburbs.

Quinns Rocks is largely residential, relying on Clarkson and the nearby city of Joondalup for major commercial and public services.

Located here is an IGA supermarket, serving as the suburb's main shopping centre for groceries, as well as a licensed post office and newsagent, a pharmacy, a bottleshop and a petrol station.

Tapping Way broadly divides Old Quinns and the Norfolk Estate in an approximately south-eastern to north-western manner, while Santa Barbara Parade strictly serves the eastern, inland part of the suburb.

Clarkson railway station serves as the nearest major transport hub to Quinns, providing rail links to Joondalup and Perth's central business district.

There were initially two polling booths in the area, at Gumblossom Community Centre and Quinns Beach Primary School, but these were amalgamated into one for the 2008 state election.