After a brief closure, the bar and bottle shop reopened this month under new owner Damian Gleeson, who also operates the nearby Star of the West Hotel. 

The beer garden area will reopen today and have live music on Sundays.

“Previous operator John Bond had been there 12 years and finished his tenure, so we bought the freehold and tenure from Melbourne investors who had owned it for 25 years,” Mr Gleeson told The Standard.

“We’ll give it a go and see what the future holds.

“Port Fairy is a big tourist town and visitors enjoy going to old hotels.

“The Star dates back to 1856 and has a sporting theme while the Oak was traditionally a fishermen’s hotel.

“We’ll aim to get some old photographs on that theme.”

Mr Gleeson started his hotelier career in Geelong with the Carlton Hotel in 1997 and acquired The Star in 2003.

The Standard understands Port Fairy’s Victoria Hotel is about to  undergo a change in management.

Meanwhile, Warrnambool’s Royal Hotel has reopened after an internal facelift and its bistro will reopen on New Year’s Day.