[1] The first issue of The Petersburg Times (subtitled: Orroroo Chronicle and Northern Advertiser),[2] was a single sheet (four pages), which appeared on 12 August 1887.
The building, which was still owned by Osborne, was destroyed by fire 23 December 1909, at a great loss to Mr. Bennett,[7] who persisted, and built the paper into a thriving business.
The change of name in May 1919 to The Times and Northern Advertiser, Peterborough, South Australia was made in response to the government's wish to remove Germanic placenames, but was not done gladly.
[8] He founded the Booleroo Magnet and purchased the Orroroo Enterprise from Colonel Tom Hancock in 1928 and took over the Weekly Times of Adelaide.
When he died, the papers remained in the family, with W. H. Bennett's sons Harry and Jack in charge of the Orroroo and Peterborough businesses respectively.