Vale Peter Swann

We are saddened to learn of the passing of Professor Peter Swann, a well-respected educator and leader within the sector.

Prof Swan studied optometry at the University of Aston and his Fellowship of the College of Optometrists in the United Kingdom before being recruited by the late Noel Verney, then head of optometry at Queensland Institute of Technology.

He had a remarkable career as a faculty member at the School of Optometry at the Queensland University of Technology for 37 years and as a Visiting Professor at the School of Optometry at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He took to early retirement in 2006.

On his retirement, and in an interview conducted by Optometry Australia with Prof Swann, he said that he always had the ambition to teach optometry and was very fortunate to get the opportunity at QUT.

He also said that while he liked teaching, he especially enjoyed the clinical part with patients.

Prof Swann had a firm interest in eye disease but not so paralytic strabismus which, ‘Had me looking for somewhere to hide when I was a student. I volunteered to teach it some years ago and realised how fascinating it was’.

Revered for his extensive knowledge of clinical optometry, Prof Swann was greatly admired by his students and colleagues. He often attended conferences and meetings worldwide where he would share the knowledge he had gained from decades of teaching.

In 2001, he received an Australian Award for Excellence in University Teaching.

Prof Swann was an invaluable member of the Editorial Board of Clinical and Experimental Optometry and will be remembered by all for his many contributions to optometry and academia throughout his career.