Quoin Bluff
Encyclopedia
Quoin Bluff, also known as Quoin Bluff South, is an elevated limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

 headland midway along the eastern side of Dirk Hartog Island
Dirk Hartog Island
Dirk Hartog Island is an island off the Gascoyne coast of Western Australia, within the Shark Bay World Heritage Area. It is about 80 kilometres long and between 3 and 15 kilometres wide and is Western Australia's largest and most western island. It covers an area of 620 square kilometres and is...

, in Shark Bay
Shark Bay
Shark Bay is a World Heritage listed bay in Western Australia. The term may also refer to:* the locality of Shark Bay, now known as Denham* Shark Bay Marine Park* Shark Bay , a shark exhibit at Sea World, Gold Coast, Australia* Shire of Shark Bay...

, on the-west coast of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

. It extends into Shark Bay between Herald Bay to the north and Tetrodon Loop to the south, and serves as a prominent navigation point with an all-round view of the approaches to Egg Island.

History

The bluff was the site of a small garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....

 placed there by the Governor of Western Australia
Governor of Western Australia
The Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...

 in 1850 to protect the guano
Guano
Guano is the excrement of seabirds, cave dwelling bats, and seals. Guano manure is an effective fertilizer due to its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen and also its lack of odor. It was an important source of nitrates for gunpowder...

 deposits on Egg Island and other small islands nearby from being illegally exploited by foreign vessels while it was being legally mined. The garrison of 15 soldiers of the 99th Regiment
99th (Lanarkshire) Regiment of Foot
The 99th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1824 and amalgamated into The Duke of Edinburgh's in 1881....

, under the command of Lieutenant L.R. Elliot, arrived from Champion Bay
Champion Bay
Champion Bay is a bay facing the port and the northern part of the city of Geraldton, Western Australia, between Point Moore and Bluff Point.Champion Bay was named by Captain Stokes of The Beagle who led an expedition to the area in December 1841...

 in October and established a camp, named Irwin Station, consisting of a wooden building and tents. They subsequently constructed at least one building from local stone. They were armed with two cannons emplaced at the top of the bluff with a clear view of the bay. A 100 m stone jetty was built into Herald Bay at the same time, the remains of which are now submerged at high tide. The camp was moved in May and, as the guano deposits were becoming exhausted, the garrison was recalled to Fremantle
Fremantle
Freemantle is a suburb of Southampton in England.Fremantle or Freemantle may also refer to:- Places :* Fremantle, the port city to the capital Perth, Western Australia...

 in July 1851.

Birds

Quoin Bluff is one component of the Quoin Bluff and Freycinet Island Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...

 (IBA), identified as such by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...

 because it holds an important nesting colony of Pied Cormorant
Pied Cormorant
The Australia Pied Cormorant , Phalacrocorax varius, also known as the Pied Cormorant or Pied Shag, is a medium-sized member of the cormorant family. It is found around the coasts of Australasia. In New Zealand it is usually known either as the Pied Shag or by its Māori name of Karuhiruhi...

s. Together with a similar colony on Freycinet Island
Freycinet Island
Freycinet Island is a small island in Henri Freycinet Harbour, lying off the Carrarang peninsula in Shark Bay, on the-west coast of Western Australia...

some 80 km to the south-east, it supports between 5000 and 10,000 birds - over 1% of the world population of the species.
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