The Bald Faced Stag was established by the Hearn family who owned a large parcel of land in the area.
Built in 1830, the original building was a long wooden structure with a horse trough out the front, allowing the horse-drawn coaches to continue their trek to the Parramatta settlement.
Historically the hotel was of great importance. In the 19th century Leichhardt was a country area made up of large estates. Many people passed through the area on their way to the Parramatta settlement. This hotel was a common coach stop on the long journey from Sydney which took 8 hours.
In 1845, with racing being such a popular pastime for the vast mix of classes in Sydney, the hotel's publican set up the Petersham Racecourse which backed onto Parramatta Road.
In 1868 the hotel was rebuilt on the same site and became the favourite pub of the two brothers, John Thomas and James Mathew Toohey, who founded Tooheys brewery in 1869. Beer men through and through, they loved the pub for it’s lively atmosphere and good times. To celebrate their legendary local, The Toohey brothers placed an image of the stag on every bottle of Tooheys beer.