Robert Grant established the hotel, which was first licensed on 15 June 1876, on three acres of land (Allotment 65A) at Dooen North.

It was located about 700 metres south of the Dooen School Road, on the western side of the Henty Highway.

Grant also had a 312-acre farm on the opposite side of the highway (Allotment 64).

By January 1879 the railway had been built as far as Horsham.

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Hiring a bullock team, Grant moved the hotel 1.5 kilometres south to its present location at 861 Henty Highway in late 1879.

This brought the hotel close to Dooen Station. A special temporary licence had been granted in September 1879 which suggests that other premises were used near the railway station prior to the hotel building being moved.

Grant owned the hotel until 1889 when it was sold to James Thornett.

Five years later Thornett sold it to local identity, Thomas Mills.

In 1907 legislation was enacted in Victoria to reduce the number of licensed premises in Victoria.

The Dooen Hotel survived a 1914 hearing of the Licence Reduction Board, but two Horsham hotels did not.

At another hearing in 1922 the licensing inspector said of the Dooen Hotel, "The hotel is a very old one and drastic repairs are necessary to bring it up to a reasonable standard".

After lengthy deliberations, and hearing that the owner, Susannah Keating, was prepared to make improvements, the Dooen Hotel again survived.

Improvements were made - the hotel's facade and its pressed metal ceilings and walls date from that time.

In May 1924 George Lowe, previously a professional golfer, took over the licence.

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He immediately set about establishing an 18-hole golf course on Longerenong Road, on the eastern side of Dooen Swamp.

He also set up a golf-stick making and repair business at the rear of the hotel.

Fire, so often the destroyer of hotels, had its chance in December 1928.

The stables were lost but gentle wind conditions meant the hotel lived to see another day.

Once six-o'clock closing was made law in 1916, the Dooen Hotel had a history of "looking after" railway workers and others by selling beer out of hours.

Several police raids were conducted on the hotel, especially from the 1920s to the 1950s. In an attempt to make ends meet, licensees took risks.

Being out of town meant that they had a lower profile but, if caught, they were heavily fined.

However, the police did not always get their man. In one widely reported instance in January 1929, the publican, Albert McGee, sold two bottles of beer to police plants.

In court, his solicitor asked that the bottles be tested. They were opened and found to contain water. The case was dismissed.

In March 1937 the Richmond Brewing Company purchased the Dooen Hotel, after which only Richmond beer was served.

In that year the price of a dozen longneck bottles of Richmond "Tiger" beer cost nine shillings and sixpence (equivalent to about $50 today).

About March 1962 Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) purchased the Richmond Brewing Co and took over ownership of all properties held by them.

CUB made alterations to the Dooen Hotel. The verandah was removed and part of the front wall moved out to align with the rest of the facade. The interior had several internal walls removed to make a more open-plan style of hotel.

After an inspection in late 1969, the Dooen Hotel was deemed to no longer meet the Licensing Commission regulations. CUB was not willing to pay for the necessary improvements so planned to close the hotel.

A groundswell of public and Council support arose for licensees, Martin (Snowy) and Margaret Nunan.

The Nunans subsequently purchased the freehold from CUB in October 1970 and, with community help, carried out the renovations necessary to bring the hotel up to the standard demanded by the Commission.

In late 1973 the hotel was sold to Peter Wickes of Frankston.

The Nunans had been licensees of the hotel for 91/2 years.

No history of the Dooen Hotel would be complete without mention of legendary barman, Billy Hobbs.

From about 2003-2016 he served drinks and, as you opened the front door, your favourite tipple would be waiting for you on the bar, even if you had not been there for years.

Billy Hobbs passed away in 2018.

For the past 20 years the Dooen Hotel has been owned by Mick and Helen Harris and remains one of the iconic "country pubs".

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