Spartiate was laid down at Pembroke Dockyard, and launched on 27 October 1898, when she was christened by Mrs. Burges Watson, wife of Captain Burges Watson, Captain Superintendent of the yard.[1] She was delivered at Portsmouth from Pembroke dockyard in April, 1900, and in the following winter went on her trials. Sand in the condensers led to friction in her machinery, and her engines had to be re-constructed. New trials the following year ended with her condenser tubes leaking so badly they had to be replaced with new ones before she could be ready. A third attempt at trials in April 1902 was also abandoned, but she finally completed her trials in July that year,[2] and was ready for sea in March 1903.
Spartiate was commissioned in 1903 for service in home waters. The previous year she had been mentioned as a possible flagship for the Australia Station,[3] but this never happened (possibly due to the delay in her trials).