She served two commissions, including eight years on the Australia Station during which she fought to reduce illegal kidnappings of South Sea Islanders for the Queensland labour market.

[1] Rosario was fitted with a Greenock Foundry Company two-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine driving a single screw.

[3] In October, she was transferred to the North America and West Indies Station, and cases of fever and smallpox were recorded in her in 1864 after visits to Kingston, Jamaica and Fort Monroe in Virginia.

[7] On 5 June the ship left Auckland for Tauranga, with the Governor of New Zealand, Sir George F. Bowen on board.

In 1869 Rosario detained the schooner Daphne on suspicion of "blackbirding",[8] or the illegal recruitment (including enslavement) of the indigenous populations of nearby Pacific islands or northern Queensland.

[11] In the event Megaera became a total loss at the isolated St Paul Island, and the crews were rescued by HMS Rinaldo and SS Malacca.

[12] Albert Hastings Markham became acting commander of Rosario between 12 October 1871 and 12 February 1872,[13] during the first cruise to the New Hebrides for the suppression of the South Seas labour trade.

In the words of the contemporary newspaper report: The Rosario's boat had got to within 50 yards of the mainland when the natives commenced their war dance and made other hostile indications.

At 4 p.m., it being high water, the boats were able to cross the reef, and four of them advanced on the village with small arms, and engaged the natives, who kept up a continual discharge of arrows; the ship sent in shell at a range of a mile.

The native canoes were destroyed, and the seamen pulled on to the village, where one of them received two bad wounds, but ultimately recovered from their effects.

It was estimated that from 20 to 30 natives were killed in the engagement.The ill feeling against white men in Nukapu is easily understood; one of the vessels stopped by Rosario during the November 1871 cruise was the brig Carl, which had been the scene of a particularly brutal massacre.

At the end of October, Rosario sailed to Fiji, the Solomon Islands and New Britain, returning freed workers and including the investigation of murders at Port Praslin (New Ireland), arriving back at Sydney on 16 February 1874.

[24] In the words of a Petty Officer on board:[25] Arrived Strong's Island on 25th Sept and on approaching the harbour a boat was seen making for the ship and soon the figure of a stranger was seen on the Quarter deck and no other than the veritable Capt Hayes, here was the outlaw on a man-of-wars deck with a bold front on him, offering to pilot the ship in.

The most positive proof of his villainy was in the person of a young female native, a mere child, she was brought on board and subjected to medical examination.

Preparations were at once commenced for the Homeward Bound trip and being completed by the 10th April when we bid farewell to Sydney and proceeded out of harbour in tow of our Chummy Ship Blanche.

The 'Homeward Bound' pendant was hoisted, the Yard arms manned with Flags and a Tar at each mast head, quietly distributing the torn fragments of his Colonial love letters, while the band of the Pearl played 'Home Sweet Home' as the little vessel glided slowly from her anchorage.

On arrival at the Heads, the Blanche cast us off and both ships rigging were manned and hearty cheers rung aloud from each as parting company from our old companions of St Paul's Island.

On arrival it was discovered that the rudder was damaged, accordingly a new one was ordered; this caused a delay of nearly 6 weeks when we again started on June 5th for Portsmouth.

Was inspected by Vice-Admiral GF Hastings at 10 a.m. and paid off on the 12th October 1875.She is listed at Chatham in 1880, and on 31 January 1884 she was sold to Castle for breaking up at Charlton.