Our events

OWA WAVE 2025 Conference 22nd & 23rd March 2025

Program & Registration OPEN NOW 

This is planned as an In Person Event & Virtual attendance.

Venue:  The Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle, WA.

Discounted Accommodation Available.   Go to the WAVE website for further details – limited places for accommodation so book now.

Registration… OPEN 

Program… OPEN

WAVE 2025 is hosted on an external website for all information and all registrations.

Max CPD hours awarded: TBC

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Time Critical have 2 x CPR Courses on the Friday 21st March before the WAVE Conference.   Click HERE for details.

Optometry WA works with Time Critical to provide CPR courses for our members on Sunday mornings…  Once you complete your course, you can upload the certificate to the OA Member Hub, tick that you are CPR Accredited and enter the expiry date of your certificate.

Time Critical has completed a Risk Assessment & put the following measures in place:

• Adequate space to adhere to social distancing
• Adequate ventilation
• All surfaces have been cleaned and disinfected
• Training equipment has been cleaned and disinfected
• Adequate hand sanitiser and alcohol wipes available
• Hand sanitiser provided throughout the course
• Training equipment cleaned with alcohol wipes during session after each use

Remember to put the expiry date 3 years from the date taken, as you are only required by AHPRA to take the course once every 3 years. You can also email the OWA office to update your certificate on admin@optometrywa.org.au

OWA CPD Metro Evening n 16th October 2025

Optometry Western Australia’s first 2025 CPD evening will be on 15th April 2025.

Topic: TBC

Summary

This is planned as an In Person Event & Zoom attendance.

Venue:  UWA Optometry, 39 Fairway, Crawley, WA, 6009 

Learning Objectives

TBC

<< Back to Optometry WA home page                   To Optometry WA – Our resources >>

Forthcoming OWA Metro CPD Dates for 2025
*Subject to change in person or zoom status
* Interactive CPD TBC within the dates listed below

• 15th April 2025 – Metro CPD In Person & Zoom
• 16th June 2025  – Metro CPD – In Person & Zoom Available
• 10th Sep 2025 – Metro CPD – In Person & Zoom Available
• 14th October 20245 – Metro CPD & OWA AGM
• 10th November 2025 – Metro CPD – In Person & Zoom Available

Optometry WA has an active group of members who are all within their first 10 years of their optometry career.  The Early Career Optometrists in WA have a busy calendar of events throughout the year of CPD and social nights.

2025 ECO Dates

24th February – New Grads Social Night @ The Brisbane

9th April 2025 – ECO & CooperVision Trivia Night @ Cleaver Street & Co. Studio

June 2025 – ECO & OWA New Members Evening. Info TBC

More Event Info Coming Soon for 2025

Don’t forget the OWA CPD & OWA Social Events are for all OWA Members, including ECO Members.  ECO Events are just for ECO Members unless otherwise detailed.

2025 DATES

Optometry WA used to host four regional CPD evenings a year, and in the past these have been in March & June and August.   Since Metro CPD’s are now mostly streamed online for our regional and even interstate members, the Regional CPDs are subject to numbers.  Watch this space for further updates.

2024 Regional CPD Dates

• August 2025 – The Sebel Hotel, Mandurah
• Wednesday 3rd December 2025  – Bunbury – Info coming soon.

OWA is continuously looking at a range of initiatives to add further value to our members, and your suggestions and feedback has been collated. The summarized findings are below:

• Majority of responders see value in OWA facilitating social events, key reasons being
  • Comradery especially during COVID
  • Positive impact on well being and mental health
  • Discover opportunities
  • Sharing ideas
  • Like minded people
  • Making friendships

Want to attend Social Events in 2025… Email admin@optometrywa.org.au

Events for 2025 

• Whitemans Park Walk – 23rd February 2025 – REGISTER HERE
• 31st May 2024 Lawn Bowls – Completed

Past Social Events 

• OWA Bushwalk – Kings Park
• OWA Paint & Sip – Check out the gallery of our cubism artwork!
• OWA Bowling
• OWA Social @ The Globe
• OWA Escape This
• OWA Comedy Festival Night
• & More

• Responders are interested in a social events calendar in addition to OWA-facilitated events
• Preference is for open attendance i.e. entire practice team, suppliers, loved ones
• Quarterly events preferred, with an ‘interactive CPD’ session making members more likely to attend
• Popular activities were (descending order): quiz night; movie night fundraiser; cooking class, wine tasting tour & bushwalking; fundraising gala dinner; art class
• Other feedback suggested Saturday night events; being mindful of members in regional locations; concerns around fees subsidizing events; and attendance being dependent on time and family commitments

Our promise to you:

• Create a social events calendar on ‘what’s happening around me in WA’
• Quarterly events (ideally with some interactive CPD) with a small budget subsidized for social investment, but a pay-as-you-go activity / meals to allow other industry people to attend

Optometry WA hosts an annual golf day for members and our industry associates.

Back again in 2025 by popular demand!

The Optometry WA Autumn Golf Day for 2025 will be Monday, (Yes Monday) the 28th April 2025 at Cottesloe Golf Course.

We play as teams of 4 Ambrose and you can register as an individual, 2, 3 or team of 4.

Want to join us for 2025? 

REGISTER HERE

 Or Email admin@optometrywa.org.au for further details.

Optometry WA run a monthly eye clinic at St Pat’s Community Support Centre in Fremantle.  On the third Tuesday of every month (except December), Optometry WA Chief Executive Officer, Evan MacRae runs the eye clinic with the support of one of our kind volunteer optoms.

The frames are all donated or recycled and the lenses are kindly provided at a very low cost by CR Surfacing Laboratories.

We ask for volunteers at the start of each year and we currently need volunteers for the latter part of 2025 St Pat’s dates.

Register your interest via email admin@optometrywa.org.au

Thank you to ne:Solutions for their recent donation of equipment to St Pats.

Optometry Western Australia Annual General Meeting for 2025

Further details to follow.

2024 Information is below

Go to Our People to view the 2023-2024 Optometry WA Board Members

2024 AGM 16th OCTOBER

Attention all OWA Members,

Attached is the Notice of Meeting including Agenda, OWA Voting information, Nomination and Proxy form for the Optometry Western Australia INC Annual General Meeting 2024, to be held at University of Western Australia Eye Health Centre 39 Fairway Crawley WA 6009 and via electronic technology means on Wednesday 16 October 2024 commencing at 6.00pm. The meeting will be followed by CPD.

For those members interested, enclosed is the Board member Nomination Form . (Further enquiries can be made to Evan MacRae) eo@optometrywa.org.au

Please note that;

• Nominations for Board positions close at 6.00pm Wednesday 9 October 2024.
  Please make sure that you return the completed forms by the time and date indicated otherwise they cannot be accepted after that time.

In the event of a vote being necessary, those members wishing to provide a proxy vote must complete and return the Appointment of Proxy Form if they are unable to attend on the day of the AGM. Completed Proxy form must be returned by no later than 6.00pm Monday 14 October (48hrs prior to meeting) to be included if necessary.

Please confirm your attendance by no later than Wednesday 9 October to enable catering to be arranged and if attending remotely by way of technology to enable ZOOM meeting links to be sent.

Please complete this short RSVP form to confirm your attendance at the AGM.

RSVP FOR THE 2024 AGM

Access the Optometry WA Annual Report to Members 2023-2024 via the link below.  You must be logged into access this member only page.

OWA ANNUAL REPORT TO MEMBERS 2023-2024

Please complete this short RSVP form to confirm your attendance at the AGM.

RSVP FOR THE 2024 AGM

AGM Notice & Agenda 2024
OWA Nomination Form
OWA Proxy Form 
AGM Agenda 2024
OWA Addendum Voting Information

NAIDOC WEEK 2024:  At OWA we aim to be part of the solution to Closing the Gap on Health for our First Nation’s communities and invite all optometrists to be part of this goal.  Here we share some NAIDOC Week stories from our OWA Members.

1:  Who: Optometrist Stephen Copeland for Lions Outback Vision.  Location: VOS trip to Derby, Kimberley Region,  at Derby Aboriginal Medical Service  ** Material is supplied by Lions Outback Vision**

“ Derby resident, Lesley Butt can read her mail again with the help of a pair of reading glasses”   From “I can’t read” to “I can read.” in under 30 minutes. 

That’s what seeing an optometrist can do for someone.  This is what Derby resident, Lesley Butt discovered during her optometry consultation at her hometown Aboriginal Medical Service in Derby, WA.

Do You Want A Diabetic Eye Check With That?
Making the most of opportunities is how things get done in remote clinics.

Tiahni presented to her local Aboriginal Medical Service to see Cheryl, the diabetic educator.   Cheryl, knew that the optometrist was also consulting at the clinic that day and consequently offered Tiahni the chance for her diabetic eye exam to also be completed whilst there. Tiahni happily agreed.  The results and management plan relating to Tiahni’s diabetic educator and optometrist consultation were discussed with Tiahni’s GP.

This is an example of opportunistic health care delivery, allowing for several health-check scenarios to be completed whilst the patient is attending the clinic.  It saves the extra process of referrals being written, sent, then triaged; appointment bookings made; and then hoping that the patient will attend.Tiahni’s AMS visit was satisfying for all involved.

Opposite: Boab Health diabetic educator, Lions Outback Vision optometrist and BRAMS GP collaborate to provide relevant health care to BRAMS client, Tiahni.  Words by Lions Outback Vision optometrist, Stephen Copeland.  Photo by Dr Fearon Kelly.

2:  Who: Optometrist Karyn Campion for Lions Outback Vision. Location: VOS trip to Halls Creek , Kimberley Region, at Aboriginal Medical Service Yura Yungi

Optometrist for Lions Outback Vision Karyn Campion on one of her regular Visiting Optometry trips to Halls Creek at Yura Yungi. She travels to Halls Creek 4 times a year with an alternate day in either Yiyilli or Ringers Soak community.

Karyn testing one of the local residents and elder of Yiyilli community Matt Dawson, who looks pretty happy with his new glasses. Yiyilli community is approximately a 90 minute drive from Halls Creek.

Photos Above: Optometrist Karyn Campion for Lions Outback Vision VOS trip.Location: Ringer Soak Community, located 170km south East of Halls Creek in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

This shows the remoteness of these Aboriginal Communities and why a visiting Optometry service is vital to reduce the burden of eye disease.

National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) formed in 1991.   Historically, NAIDOC formed as the National Aborigines Day Observance Committee (NADOC) in 1956.  Download the HISTORY HERE

CLICK here to access the SUPPORTING NAIDOC WEEK TOOLKIT

3:  Who: Locally based Optometrists Alex Craig and Mitchell Gin of Karratha Eyecare    Location: Karratha, Pilbara, Western Australia

Over the past five years Karratha Eyecare has been fortunate to work with the Lions Eye Institute Outback Vision team in further developing a state-of-the-art telehealth service that ensures that patients who choose to live in Karratha do not necessarily have to fly to Perth to get tertiary care and ophthalmologist opinions.

This service was initially run in conjunction with the Outback Vision Van and has since allowed for the Outback Vision Van to reduce its number of services to the region as patients can be managed in conjunction with local optometrists in a co-management arrangement via this telehealth service. The Van now is able to service more areas and be of wider assistance to even farther remote areas in regional Western Australia.

This telehealth services utilities the Harmony image sharing platform, a vision of Topcon engineering that allows for seamless ocular image sharing across multiple locations. This ensures that ophthalmologists are able to see patients data in real time and the same images that the optometrist may be seeing at a screening site or at a private practice.

This clinic is run at Karratha Eyecare under Medicare billing every fortnight and has shown remarkable promise in dramatically reducing cataract wait time and increasing accessibility to tertiary care and overall stabilization of chronic eye disease management. There is an Adhoc function that also serves to ensure acute patients are seen in a timely manner and managed appropriately. This de-burdens the local emergency department.

This service is also utilized as an educational tool as it illustrates the complete journey for optometry and medical students who do placement in Karratha. It also gets the students to collaborate on case discussion allowing for interdisciplinary learning. Both Alex Craig and Mitchell Gin of Karratha Eyecare run this clinic at the Karratha site in conjunction with Dr. Angus Turner and his team in Broome at the Lions Outback Vision Hub. This service has made an incredible impact on the accessibility of eye care for particularly for our indigenous population and those who called Karratha home.

4: Who: Visiting Optometrist Sinead Denny for Lions Outback Vision
Location: Derbarl Yerrigan Aboriginal Medical Service East Perth

Sinead has been visiting the local Aboriginal Medical service Derbarl Yerrigan for over 5 years as part of a visiting Optometry Service with Lions Outback Vision. She visits about 12x per year. Patients attending the local health service can get their Diabetic Eye Checks on the day, as well as any glasses that need to be prescribed. Derbarl Yerrigan is unique as it is a “one stop shop” for GP, Dental, Podiatry, Ophthalmology services and now providing Optometry Services as part of the 715 health checks.

Over the years Sinead has found that some Aboriginal patients are not accessing local eyecare services, and so providing Optometry services within an Aboriginal Medical Service provides a culturally safe environment, that has captured patients that would have otherwise fallen through the cracks. Sinead works closely with visiting Ophthalmology services from Lions Outback Vision so that patients are triaged effectively for any treatment or surgery that may be needed.

CLICK here to CHECK OUT LOCAL NAIDOC EVENTS HERE

National Reconciliation Week 2024: Theme: NOW MORE THAN EVER

See the Reconciliation Australia Website for ways to be involved in the annual National Reconciliation week. Ways to be connected to our communities.Following the failed Voice Referendum last year, the OWA RAP committee and Reconciliation Australia want us to continue to be aware of the history of our First Nations People and the effect that history has made and continues to make on their life outcomes, including their health and vision and integration into general society.

• There are many reasons that First Nations People have a 31 % rate of high or very high psychological distress compared to 14% in non-indigenous populations¹ (in remote communities it is higher). One factor is ongoing unconscious racism and we need to call out RACISM in all its presentations whenever we encounter it.

¹  Mental Health Report; Productivity Commission Inquiry Report Vol 1, #95 30/6/2020

Below are 2 short videos produced by mental health agencies

‘The Invisible Discriminator’ Stop Think Respect (youtube.com)

Staying strong: Responding to racism (youtube.com)

• Many people have heard of the Close the Gap initiatives and the Close the Gap for Vision initiatives. Vision 2020 in collaboration has developed a Strong Eyes Strong Community framework to improve the vision and life outcomes for First Nations Children.

Strong eyes, strong communities is a blueprint for change, collaboration and improvement. Together, a world class system that delivers culturally safe eye care to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is within our reach.

See the summary below.

Strong-Eyes-Strong-Communities-Summary-and-Recommendations.pdf (vision2020australia.org.au)

• Australia’s settlement and legislative history with First Nations People.

National Reconciliation Week

After reading and watching the provided information answer the quiz questions in the following link correctly to be placed in the draw for an art prize donated by OWA board member Gary Crerie. (The artwork comes from the Kimberley region of WA).

Happy reading. We hope this is both educational and rewarding.

COMPETITION CLOSED