Robert Martin Osborne (c. 1852 – 22 September 1931) was a newspaper editor and proprietor of several newspapers in South Australia, notably the Petersburg Times in the town now known as Peterborough .
24-476: The Times and Northern Advertiser (subtitled: Peterborough, South Australia ) was a weekly newspaper published in Peterborough, South Australia from August 1887 to 1970. Petersburg was a very small town in 1887 when the railway to Broken Hill was being built, and a decision had to be made whether the ore from the mines should be shipped from Port Augusta, Port Pirie or Port Adelaide. If it were to be Port Pirie,
48-506: A hotel and post office had been erected, followed by a school in 1883, and a town hall in 1884. At the prompting of mayor W. Thredgold, a newspaper, the Petersburg Times was founded in 1887 by Robert M. Osborne , became The Times and Northern Advertiser in 1919, under the longterm proprietorship of W. H. Bennett and survived as a family business until 1970. Peterborough has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Peterborough
72-667: A time member of the town council, helping establish trees and in other ways improving the town. In 1896 his brother Samuel W. Osborne came out from England to assist him, and together they founded the Quorn Mercury and the Advertiser in Port Pirie , where he remained for many years. In 1897 Robert left Petersburg to establish a printing business in Victoria Square, Adelaide , later moving to Currie Street . He founded The Farm for
96-521: Is still in operation and was formerly a stop for the weekly Indian Pacific train. The line from Port Pirie and Jamestown arrived in 1881, followed shortly after by the line from Terowie in the south and north to Quorn . The line to Broken Hill was completed in 1887. Peterborough was the home town for Bob the Railway Dog who is remembered by a bronze statue located in the Main Street . In 1970,
120-590: Is the seat of the District Council of Peterborough . It is the largest town in the council area. Peterborough is in the state electorate of Stuart and federal Division of Grey . Peterborough at one point in time had its own town council ( Corporation of the Town of Peterborough ) surrounded by the district council. Peterborough sat on the intersection of the East-West railway linking Port Pirie and Broken Hill , and
144-656: The North–South railway linking Adelaide eventually to Alice Springs via Quorn , both narrow gauge ( 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in )) lines between 1917 (when the Trans-Australian Railway opened across the Nullarbor Plain ) and 1937 (when a more direct south–north route bypassed the Peterborough–Quorn railway line by connecting Port Pirie to Port Augusta ). The Peterborough railway station
168-462: The Petersburg Times (1887–1919), and The Times and Northern Advertiser (1919–1950), and which may be accessed on-line through its Trove service. Peterborough, South Australia Peterborough is a town in the mid north of South Australia , in wheat country, just off the Barrier Highway . It was originally named Petersburg after the landowner, Peter Doecke, who sold land to create
192-513: The S.A. Farmers' Co-operative Union , and The S.A. Freemason . He purchased The Garden and Field (edited by Alexis L. Holtze, son of M. W. Holtze ), edited the Unley Citizen , and for a time ran The Critic . In 1909 R. M. Osborne sold the Times and Quorn Mercury to W. H. Bennett , previously an employee. The building, which was still owned by Osborne, was destroyed by fire 23 December 1909, at
216-509: The east–west line was converted to standard gauge ( 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in )), and the line south of Peterborough to Terowie to broad gauge ( 1,600 mm / 5 ft 3 in ). Thus Peterborough became one of three, triple-gauge railway junctions in Australia. The others being Gladstone and Port Pirie , all on the same railway corridor. The broad-gauge connection to Adelaide, via Burra ,
240-678: The family, with W. H. Bennett's sons Harry and Jack in charge of the Orroroo and Peterborough businesses respectively. In 1946, the newspaper absorbed the Jamestown Star and Farmer's Journal (23 July 1903 – 28 June 1946). In 1970 three other northern papers were taken over, with the Northern Review , and merged to become the Review-Times , which shortly became defunct. The National Library of Australia has made digitised copies of all issues of
264-412: The line would pass through Petersburg. Anxious to improve the status of the town (particularly as against rival Terowie ), mayor W. Thredgold approached Robert M. Osborne with a view to establishing a newspaper (Terowie had its Enterprise , founded by James O'Loghlin ). The old Anglican church building would have been an ideal premises, but it could not be got ready soon enough, so an old iron shed near
SECTION 10
#1732876959464288-508: The mill crossing was made available. Osborne found a likely assistant in H. P. Colebatch (later Premier of Western Australia , Agent-general and, as Sir Hal, Senator for Western Australia ). The first issue of The Petersburg Times (subtitled: Orroroo Chronicle and Northern Advertiser ), was a single sheet (four pages), which appeared on 12 August 1887. Barton Pullen was appointed the paper's agent and correspondent in Orroroo . A new building
312-400: The overall name was changed to The Times and Northern Advertiser , Peterborough, South Australia, in response to the government's wish to remove Germanic placenames . Peterborough was also home to the short-lived newspaper, Petersburg Enterprise and Northern Advocate (20 January – 2 August 1912), which was printed by William John Myers and Walter A. Wade. Another short-lived publication
336-610: The site in 2019, when it contained one ground station terminal belonging to the site's previous owner, Tyvak. The site now hosts several ground stations on behalf of Tyvak (US), RBC Signals (US), and Leaf Space (Italy). Up to 75 more satellite dishes are planned, each with 16 antennae. The town was home to the Petersburg Times , subtitled: Orroroo Chronicle and Northern Advertiser , (12 August 1887 – May 1919). The Times' subtitle later evolved to Terowie, Yongala, and Northern Advertiser, and finally Northern Advertiser. In 1919,
360-596: The three tiers of government and recovery of the Eurelia line, have subsequently established the Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre , with SA's first Sound & Light Show. In early 2022, the Nova Systems Space Precinct was officially established on a 21 ha (52-acre) site located just outside of Peterborough. Australian defence engineering and technology group Nova Systems originally purchased
384-579: The town. It was one of 69 places in South Australia renamed in 1917 due to anti-German sentiments during World War I. The first settlers in the area purchased land from the government in 1875. The first building in the town was constructed four years later. Settler Peter Doecke transferred his land to J H Koch in 1876, who found out in 1880 that the land would be the site of a railway junction. He subdivided it and sold 33 acres (13 ha) for £1700, after failing to get £500 per acre for it in 1879. By 1880
408-695: Was Frith's Bulletin (15 April 1913), a monthly magazine published by F.H. Frith, but discontinued after only one issue. A third one at this time was the Sporting Telegraph (3 May – 26 July 1913), which was printed by W.H. Bennett for Pritchard Morgan Hall. More recently, it was also home to the Peterborough Times (2003–2006), which later became part of the Mid North Broadcaster , a publication released from 2006 to 2013 in Burra . The Broadcaster
432-552: Was apprenticed to a printer, and had experience in England, Scotland, Ireland and New York before emigrating to South Australia on the steamer "John Elder" in 1884. He worked on David Drysdale's Port Augusta Dispatch , and ran a newspaper in Teetulpa before founding The Petersburg Times, Orroroo Chronicle and Northern Advertiser in 1887. He was active in the Petersburg community, for
456-458: Was closed on 26 July 1988. The narrow-gauge line north to Quorn last carried freight in 1980, and was removed, between Eurelia and Bruce in the mid-1980s. Grain trains ran as far as Orroroo into the mid-1980s. In its later years it was used by tourist trains from Steamtown as far as Eurelia. Steamtown ceased operations in 2002, however the roundhouse is still used to display its coaches and locomotives. The District Council, with funding from
480-492: Was erected by Osborne in 1891 on the corner of Bismarck and Jervois streets. Managing editor of the Times from 1896 was James J. "Jim" Bennett (c. 1873 – 7 March 1900), who was succeeded by Kinso C. H. Ewins, of Burra. In 1909 R. M. Osborne sold The Times and the Quorn Mercury to W. H. Bennett , brother of the late editor and had been successfully managing the Quorn Mercury for the previous nine years. The building, which
504-980: Was formed by the merger of struggling local newspapers, the Peterborough Times , the Burra Broadcaster (1991–2006), and the Eudunda Observer . It was owned by the Taylor group, with editorial control via the Murray Pioneer . Its distribution included the towns of Burra, Eudunda, Jamestown and Peterborough. In mid-2021, a Temporary Community Broadcasting Licence (TCBL) was issued by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to Peterborough Community Broadcasting Incorporated. In early 2022, 5PBS commenced broadcasting on 91.1 MHz, servicing Peterborough and surrounding towns including Oodla Wirra , Terowie and Yongala . Peterborough High School
SECTION 20
#1732876959464528-588: Was made in response to the government's wish to remove Germanic placenames , but was not done gladly. He founded the Booleroo Magnet and purchased the Orroroo Enterprise from Colonel Tom Hancock in 1928 and took over the Weekly Times of Adelaide. He installed up to date printing machinery, and had an excellent rapport with the business and sporting people of the area. When he died, the papers remained in
552-467: Was opened in 1927 and caters for students from years 7 to 12. Peterborough Primary School was opened in 1883 and caters for students from years reception to 6 St Joseph's School is a reception to Year 7 Catholic primary school which was founded by Mary MacKillop and the Sisters of St Joseph. Robert M. Osborne Robert was born at Birdbush , Wiltshire , the son of Rev. Robert Ivey Osborne. He
576-539: Was still owned by Osborne, was destroyed by fire 23 December 1909, at a great loss to Mr. Bennett, who persisted, and built the paper into a thriving business. Throughout its run, The Petersburg Times retained it name, although the subtitle evolved from Orroroo Chronicle and Northern Advertiser , to Terowie, Yongala, and Northern Advertiser , and finally Northern Advertiser . The change of name in May 1919 to The Times and Northern Advertiser, Peterborough, South Australia
#463536