Doreen is unusual in that the eastern portion in the Shire of Nillumbik remains rural, being contiguous with the rural localities of Yarrambat and Nutfield.
Over a 15-year period, Wakeling worked as an industrial advisor with the Victorian Government's Wageline Department; as an Industrial Officer with the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC); as a Human Resource Advisor with the Nillumbik Shire Council and more recently as a Senior Workplace Relations Advisor with the Adecco Group of Companies.