Ordered in 1909 for the Commonwealth Naval Forces (the predecessor of the RAN), Yarra was temporarily commissioned into the Royal Navy on completion in 1910 and handed over to Australian control on arrival in Australia.

From 1914 to 1917, Yarra was involved in wartime patrols in the Pacific and South East Asian regions, before she and her sister ships were transferred to the Mediterranean for anti-submarine operations.

Decommissioned into reserve then reactivated on five occasions between 1919 and 1928, Yarra was paid off for the final time in 1928, was taken to Cockatoo Island Dockyard for stripping, then was sunk in 1932 as a target ship.

[1] Later in Yarra's career, the destroyer was fitted with four chutes and two throwers for depth charges, and one of the torpedo tubes was removed.

[2] Construction was completed in August 1910, and the ship was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Yarra on 10 September 1910 for the voyage out to Australia.

[2] On 5 February 1915, Yarra, Parramatta, and HMAS Warrego sailed for Australia, where they were used for convoy escort duties along the continent's eastern coast until August.