The Electra was built at Fremantle and had many owners over its twenty-one years. The first was John Bateman, shipowner of Fremantle. He sold it to Francis Perrier Bell, also of Fremantle, in July 1898. A week later Bell mortgaged the vessel back to John Bateman for a loan of £300 at 8%. This mortgage was discharged one month later.
In August 1899 the Electra was sold by Bell to Alexander Gordon, an accountant of Broome. In October 1901 Gordon sold the vessel to a consortium of Robert John Lynne, shipping agent, and merchants John Denny and James Leslie Denny, all of Fremantle.
On 10 May 1890 the Electra was blown ashore at Dongara. An Edward Tuckett was washed overboard and drowned, but the schooner was salvaged and repaired, and it returned to trading along the Western Australian coast.
On 17 March 1904 the Electra loaded timber at Hamelin Bay for Millars of Fremantle and general cargo for J & W Bateman and other firms. The Electra had a crew of five and was under the command of Captain J Anderson.