The Blue Duck Hotel stands at the confluence of 3 trout rivers - Cobungra, Bundarra and Mitta Mitta, called Angler's Rest. The original 1900's building was of slab construction and operated as a butcher shop, servicing miners on the track from Omeo to Mt. Wills. In 1912 it was purchased by a miner, Billy O'Connell, and he obtained a hotel license. In the early 1920's he transported 2 houses from Omeo on Horse drays. One is the main building of the Blue Duck and the other was a residence where Billy and his wife raised their nine children. The small log structure behind the pub is State School No.4286 where the children attended school. A teacher was shared with Glen Wills. By the late 1920's the hotel was discovered and patronized by keen anglers. Sir Harold Clapp (head of the railways) was one and he had the bronze blue duck cast and presented to the owners in the 1930's. This stands at the entrance to the premises.These photographs are of a building, in a remote area, that has provided a service to miners, anglers and travellers for over 100 years and continues to do so today. It also played a vital role in the history of the Mt. Wills/Omeo gold mining days.3 Post cards, Black and White photographs. 3 small black and white photographsPost Card No. 1 - "Blue Duck Hotel- Omeo-Glen wills road Ray Love Series No.2"(written on lower front) Post Card No. 2- "Looking towards Bogong High Plains. Omeo-Glen Wills road"(front, bottom, L hand) Ray Love Series No. 18 (front, lower R hand corner) On both of above photos, centre back, is stamped POST CARD and underneath this is printed "A GENUINE PHOTOGRAPH'/ Post Card No. 3 - Bottom L hand corner "Mystic Sea Australian Alps". R hand corner "(Bulmer Copyright)". Each small photograph, handwritten on back "Blue duck Hotel". All have circular stamp with "Print by Wilson White Albury" blue duck hotel; anglers rest; omeo highway; fishing; mining

Hotel buildings moved from Omeo to present site, 1928 by William O'ConnellBlack and white postcard showing Blue Duck Hotel, Glen Wills Rd, East Gippsland, Victoria. Bridge over Mitta Mitta River, house at back, sedan car leaving bridge, dense forest surrounding.Blue Duck Hotel Glen Wills Roadbridges, hotels

This is one of a series of calendars published annually by East Gippsland Historical Society.This item is a useful reference tool.A 2011 stapled calendar, titled "Old Views of Gippsland". On the purple coloured front is a black/white photograph of The Blue Duck Hotel at Angler's Rest on the road to Glenn Wills C/1940. It contains early photographs of East Gippsland, one for each month. There is a hole for hanging. The title is at the top and the year at the bottom in black print. calendar-old-views-of-gippsland photographs-historic-gippsland

Several items were given by a seafarer, Mr Nicholas Garlick (1926-2009) into the care of Father Brady who retired from St Pauls Cathedral, Melbourne in 2018. Father Brady later donated the collection of; objects, documents and an extensive collection of cruise ship menus (1937-end of 20thC) to the Mission via the intermediary William Hastie, volunteer at the Mission for Seafarers.A5 single-fold, duck-egg blue card printed in red ink. Menu was produced for a Melbourne Cup Eve 1949 dinner at the Oxford Hotel. On right hand inner page is listed a seven-course meal printed in red ink.Eleven signatures in both ink and pencil are inscribed primarily on the inner left hand page. Some indecipherable.oxford hotel, melbourne, melbourne cup eve, 1940, george m johnson, r green, jim green, maurice johnson, g a hudson, hudson (initials indecipherable), nick garlick