The Border Watch is South Australia's oldest country newspaper, still in publication. It was also the first newspaper in South Australia run by a woman - Janet Laurie. The poet Adam Lindsay Gordon was a friend of the first editor, John Watson, and Gordon's poems appeared in early editions of the newspaper. His first Australian published poem, 'The Feud' was printed by the Border Watch in 1864. The Border Watch received publicity through being owned by millionaire truck driver Allan Scott, whose death in 2009 led to some controversy over his estate.

In 1848 the Rev Alexander Laurie left the church to found a the Portland Herald newspaper at Portland, Victoria. Following his death in 1854, his widow Janet, and two teenage sons Andrew and James, travelled to Mount Gambier. Here, in 1861, they established the newspaper which they named after a newspaper from their birthplace in Scotland. Two years later a fellow Scot, John Watson, joined the Border Watch as editor. He filled this role until his death in 1925 when his son Jim Watson became editor. In 1891 Laurie's two sons joined the newspaper staff. James Laurie left the paper after a few years, but Andrew Laurie continued running the Border Watch in partnership with John Watson until his death in 1920.