OUR STORY
150 years of history,
a new chapter in 2025
The Dederang Hotel has been part of the Kiewa Valley since 1885, when it first opened as a humble post office, store and at some stage a wine shanty. After a fire in 1902, the post office and store were rebuilt and those very walls still form part of the hotel today.
In the 1940s and 50s, the Dederang wine shanty sold wine by the ‘hogshead’, huge 56‑gallon kegs bottled right here on the premises. There were only three varieties on offer: light, dark and the famously rough ‘plonk’. Many locals brought their own whiskey stone jars or demi‑johns, holding one or two gallons, to fill up for the trip home.
Ooops I Bought A Pub
What happens when one of Australia’s most beloved entertainers buys a rundown country pub… sight unseen?
In this six-part series, Shane dives headfirst into the ultimate country adventure as he attempts to revive a tired old pub in the tiny Victorian town of Dederang and restore it as the beating heart of the community once again.
There’s just one problem: Shane has never run a pub before. In a moment of spectacular optimism, he also booked a wedding that must go ahead right in the middle of renovation chaos.
Joined by long-time mate Dean Murphy along with a colourful cast of locals, tradies and experts, Shane faces mounting challenges, from septic tank disasters and budget blowouts to wild country weather and impossible deadlines.
Along the way, viewers meet the sort of characters who make country towns tick, including much-loved publican Dave McKnight, returning local chef Ali McKilliop, and a community determined to keep their pub alive at all costs.
Heartwarming, hilarious and full of surprises the road to reopening the pub is anything but smooth.
OUR SPONSORS
The Dederang Hotel thanks all our generous sponsors, without whom the renovation and re-opening of our much-loved pub would not have been possible.
