The Redbreast class were designed by Sir William Henry White, the Royal Navy Director of Naval Construction in 1888.

[3] Her triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine was built by the Greenock Foundry, and developed 1,200 indicated horsepower, sufficient to propel her at 13 kn (24 km/h) through her single screw.

[2] A landing party from Sparrow captured and destroyed the strongholds of Tambi and Toniatuba in 1892, in reprisal for attacks on tribes under British protection.

[7][8] She recommissioned for service on the Australia Station, and in May 1900 was based at Sydney, where regular visits to New Zealand formed part of her duties.

Between 11 and 27 June 1901 she escorted the royal yacht Ophir around the New Zealand coast when the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (later King George V and Queen Mary) visited the colony.

[2] She remained at Port Nicholson, Wellington for the remainder of the year.By 1919 she was in a poor state of repair,[2] and the prohibitive cost of returning her to a seaworthy condition brought an end to her seagoing life.