Warrego had a displacement of 700 tons, a
length overall of , and beam of , and a maximum draught of . The destroyer was powered by three Yarrow oil-burning boilers connected to Parsons turbines, which delivered 10,000 shaft horsepower to three propeller shafts.
Warregos maximum speed was , and she had a cruising speed of , giving the ship a range of . The ship's company consisted of between 66 and 73 personnel, including five officers.
Warrego was laid down by
Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, but when she reached launch condition, the destroyer was disassembled and transported to Australia by ship. She was re-laid at
Cockatoo Island Dockyard in December 1910. The reasoning behind this was to raise the standard of the Australian shipbuilding industry by giving Cockatoo Island hands-on experience in warship construction. The destroyer was launched on 4 April 1911 by the wife of
George Pearce, the
Minister for Defence.
Warrego was completed on 1 June 1912, and was commissioned into the RAN that day. The destroyer's name comes from the
Warrego River. ==Operational history==