The Agriculturist and Review began life as the Jamestown review in March 1878. The newspaper was founded by a Port Pirie builder, John Burrough Collins. For three years Collins was publisher and editor, writing with a 'sarcastic and vitriolic pen' (Cooper, p. 97). He left in July 1881 to become sub-editor of the Register newspaper. The Jamestown Review was then sold to 'Messrs Lake and Thurp'. George Lake had previously had a varied career working on pastoral properties, commencing legal training and becoming an accountant. He went to Jamestown in 1878 to manage a law office. When the Jamestown Corporation was formed, Lake became Town Clerk. Three years later he resigned and took over the local newspaper. It was Lake who re-named the newspaper the Agriculturist and Review.

Lake entered South Australian Parliament in 1890 and hired Charles Reade as editor of the newspaper. Reade, like Lake, had a varied career which including having begun medical training in Victoria. In 1900 Reade volunteered for the South African War and was placed in charge of the Second Contingent. In 1903 the Agriculturist and Review was sold to a long-time employee, Alfred Gage. Gage was a local, having grown up at nearby Belalie. He originally came to the newspaper as an apprentice. Working his way up to manager, he subsequently became both owner and editor. Gage was also a keen photographer and took many early photographs of the district. In 1919 he sold the newspaper to HB Whitham who, in turn, sold to the journalist LMW (Lester) Judell in 1921. Judell, like Gage, was a 'local' boy - the Judells being a prosperous Orroroo-based family. Judell was a talented man who built many of the printing presses himself. In 1927 he added the Booyoolie Areas express newspaper to the business and in 1942 also the Laura standard. Later he acquired the Orroroo Enterprise and the Times (Peterborough). In 1949 Judell combined the Agriculturist and Review, Areas Express and Laura Standard into a new title, the Northern Review. Employee Ted Clift purchased the firm in 1950. In 1958 the newspaper was sold to Reg Warnest.

As the Northern Review, the newspaper was acquired by Independent Newspapers of Port Pirie. With other local newspapers it became part of the new Review Times Record, which was eventually taken over by Flinders News.