The names "Kurraba" and "Kirribilli" are both Australian Indigenous words thought to mean "good fishing spot".

[3][4][2] Their design was a significant evolution of the company's smaller double-ended screw ferries, such as Kangaroo (1891 - 1926) and Carabella (1897 - 1932).

[5] Unlike Kurraba, Kirribilli's lower deck windows were tinted an amber colour to minimise glare and heat from the sun.

[7] All subsequent K-class ferries were built similarly with most, and then the full length, of their upper decks enclosed.

[6][3] Kurraba's machinery was built by Campbell and Calderwood of Glasgow, imported by Wildridge and Sinclair and installed in Sydney by Begg and Greig.

Kurraba was christened at the builder's yard on 22 July 1899 by Miss Robertson, daughter of one of the ferry company's director.

She commenced service on the Milsons Point run the following week under the command of Captain E Bridge who had helmed the company's Kangaroo for the previous 10 years.

[3] The largest ferries in the fleet when introduced, both Kurraba and Kirribilli were initially used predominantly on the busy cross harbour routes to Milsons Point.

17 vessels from the fleet were retired from service, including Kurraba and Kirribilli being among the oldest of the K-class ferries.

[15] Like all ferries, Kurraba and Kirribilli were involved in their fair share of incidents, including on two occasions (1904 and 1932) colliding with each other causing significant damage: