23 October 1908 on the Firth of Clyde, during which the steamer was able to successfully maintain a mean speed of over several runs on the measured mile. After successful completion of sea trials, the ship was transferred to her owners on the same day and immediately departed for London. As built, the ship was long (between perpendiculars) and abeam, a mean draft of . Waratah was assessed at and and had deadweight of approximately 10,000. The vessel had a steel hull, and two sets of quadruple-expansion steam engines, with cylinders of , , and diameter with a stroke, that provided a combined 1,003 nhp and drove two screw propellers, and moved the ship at up to . Waratah had a cellular double bottom built along her entire length, and the hull was divided into eight watertight compartments, which it was claimed rendered her "practically immune from any danger of sinking." The ship was named after the emblem flower of New South Wales, which appears to have been an unlucky name: one ship of that name had been lost off the island of Ushant in the English Channel in 1848, one in 1887 on a voyage to Sydney, another south of Sydney, and one in the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1897. Operational history Following delivery, Waratah left London for her maiden voyage on 5 November 1908 with 689 third-class and 67 first-class passengers. She was under the command of Captain Joshua Edward Ilbery, a veteran of the Blue Anchor Line with 30 years of nautical experience, and a previous master of , and had a crew of 154. She touched off at Cape Town on 27 November and arrived at Adelaide on 15 December 1908. Among her passengers were Hamilton Wickes, a newly appointed British Trade Commissioner for the Commonwealth, Dr. Anderson, Bishop of Riverina and Octavius Beale, president of the Federal Council of Chambers of Manufactures. While on her maiden voyage, early in the morning of 6 December 1908, the second officer reported a small fire in the lower starboard bunker extending all the way to the engine room. The fire was largely brought under control by noon on the same day but continued reigniting until 10 December. The fire was apparently caused by the heat emitted by several reducing and steam valves located on the starboard side of the engine room. While the roof of the engine room