Background
Robert was born at Birdbush, Wiltshire, the son of Review Robert Ivey Osborne.
Alderman editor mayor proprietor
Robert was born at Birdbush, Wiltshire, the son of Review Robert Ivey Osborne.
He 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 Portuguese Augusta Dispatch, and ran a newspaper in Teetulpa before founding The St. Petersburg Times, Orroroo Chronicle and Northern Advertiser in 1887. In 1897 Robert left St. Petersburg to establish a printing business in Victoria Square, Adelaide, later moving to Currie Street. He founded The Farm for the South America Farmers" Company-operative Union, and The South America Freemason.
He purchased The Garden and Field (edited by Alexis L Holtze, son of M West Holtze), edited the Unley Citizen, and for a time ran The Critic.
In 1909 R. M. Osborne sold the Times and Quorn Mercury to West. H. Bennett, previously an employee. The building, which was still owned by Osborne, was destroyed by fire 23 December 1909, at a great loss to Mr.
Bennett. Robert left for Launceston, where he served as Alderman, and was elected Mayor in 1929.
He died in Sydney following a surgical operation.
He was active in the St. Petersburg community, for a time member of the town council, helping establish trees and in other ways improving the town.