A photograph of the Royal Hotel in Drouin c1907.
The date of the first building to appear on the Main South Rd site is unclear. However, it was certainly there by 1877, as it is referred to in The South Bourke and Mornington Journal of that year.
In May, an advertisement for O'Keefe's Store informs readers that "everything from a needle to an anchor can be purchased".
In September, another advertisement appeared, this time for a clearing sale of O'Keefe's "Traveler's Home Hotel and Store".
"The hotel, store, house, bakery, stabling, out-buildings (situated on the Drouin Junction Railway reserve), license, drays, spring carts, heavy draught horses, harness, etc, etc, for sale by private contract," it read.
Clearly the hotel and store had been running for some time for this number of buildings to be erected.
The first rates for the new Shire of Buln Buln show the hotel was being run by Thomas Bynes. Bynes was brother of Patrick's wife Catherine.
Patrick was a founding councillor of the newly formed shire and, as a magistrate, was unable to be a hotel licensee.
The first reference to the "Royal Hotel" can be found in 1884. Thomas was the licensee until 1881, when the hotel was taken over by Dennis O'Keefe.
It is unclear whether Dennis was a brother or cousin of Patrick, but it is likely he was a relation. Dennis O'Keefe and his family ran the hotel until 1885, with the family owning the building until 1905.
The original single-storey timber building burnt down in April 1907. John Trouville was the publican at the time, having only just taken on the business in March.
G. W. Ellis from Garfield owned the hotel and the Ellis family moved to Drouin in September to supervise the rebuilding.
While it was being rebuilt, a temporary bar was set up named "The Dew Drop Inn" by Mr Ellis.
The new hotel was rebuilt as a single storey and opened in late November 1907. The Ellis family sold the business in May 1908.
In 1936, plans were made to renovate and add an extension to the hotel that Ellis had constructed. Part of that single-storey building is still visible on the south side of the hotel.
The bar was featured in a scene from mini-series "Rose Against The Odds".
Photograph and information courtesy of the Drouin History Group.
Visit drouinhistorygroup.org.au to find out more.