The Pearl-class cruiser was a third-class protected cruiser designed by Sir William White for the Royal Navy. Nine ships were built to this design, five of which were paid for by Australia under the terms of the Imperial Defence Act of 1887 to serve in Australian waters.
Design
Pearl-class ships displaced 2,575 tons and were capable of 19 knots (35.2 km/h).
Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC52620555.