Community Optometrists since 1934
The history of L&F Eyecare began with the Warragul practice in 1934, which is still going strong today. For over 40 years L&F Eyecare has been providing the Gippsland community with quality eyecare and a range of eyewear options.
Timeline of L&F Eyecare
Pound, 1934
Philip Pound founded the Warragul practice in 1934 in what was the centre of Warragul near the corner of Smith and Queen Streets. Curtains separated Pound’s consulting room from the rest of the premises, and he ground lenses by hand on sandstone at the back of the rooms.
Sutherland, 1958
In 1958, Donald Sutherland, an English optometrist from Upper Beaconsfield took over the practice. Additionally, Sutherland served as a Magistrate at the Richmond Court, holding the record for the longest tenure of any magistrate in Victoria.A gentleman, Sutherland was tall and solid with white hair and a pencil line moustache. He manufactured a patented lens cleaning solution that he offered his patients – a superior product to anything else available on the market.
Watt, 1962
After completing a Bachelor of Applied Science (Optometry) in 1958 and subsequently earning a Master of Science, Geoff Watt dedicated himself to his passion for running. Trained alongside Herb Elliot by Percy Cerutty, Geoff’s distance running took him across the globe, including a memorable ascent and descent of snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro.
Following these adventures, Watt renovated the Warragul practice and hired a full-time receptionist. Additionally, he briefly operated a part-time practice in Korumburra and acquired another practice in Moe.In 1969, on a particularly cold day when snow fell in Melbourne, Watt saw his last patient in the mid-afternoon and embarked on a training run up Mount Erica.
When it had been dark for several hours that night, his pregnant wife Kathleen and their three young daughters knew something was wrong. They found Watt’s snow-covered body lying on a flat rock some distance from the track, dressed only in running shorts and a singlet. In the freezing conditions his death at the age of just 37 years would have been mercifully quick. Kathleen gave birth to their forth child four months after Geoff’s death.
Their eldest daughter Kathryn, now better known as Kathy Watt, went on to become a celebrated Olympic gold and silver cycling medallist. Kathy went on to create the Geoff Watt Fun Run, an annual event held in fathers memory at the Geoff Watt track in Warragul, which L&F Eyecare are proud sponsors of.
Gartner, 1969
One of Watt’s contemporaries, Wolf Gartner took over the responsibility for the practice and became the principal optometric adviser. Several locums including Terry Blake, Bob Morris, Ann Lamont and Ian Wheeler, a fellow distance runner worked with Gartner during this period.
Leunig, 1969
In 1969, Kathleen Watt invited Geoff Leunig to join her in partnership at the practice. Leaving Melbourne for a more rural life, Leunig started work the day after his registration. This partnership lasted until 1975 when Kathleen left the practice, leaving Geoff as sole owner. 1975 also saw the practice move to new larger premises in Warragul. They transferred the workshop from Moe to Warragul, and in 1978, they expanded the Moe practice into adjoining premises, providing two consulting rooms in each practice.
Leunig & Farmer – Optometrists Pty. Ltd, 1979
L&F Eyecare rebranded on July 1st, 1979, following John Farmer’s employment directly from university, where he had been working for eighteen months. In November 1982 they further expanded the existing premises, buying an old house and land in Barkly Street, Warragul, and erecting a building with three consulting rooms. This was the start of what was to become a great period of expansion and growth for the practice.
The At the instigation of the Warragul staff, they opened the Drouin practice at 29 Princes Way in September 1990. They later relocated the practice to a new building at 28 Princes Way in mid-1997, which featured three consulting rooms and a conference room.
In 1986 they purchased a practice in North Melbourne, which they subsequently sold in 1990. In February 1990, the practice at Anzac Street in Moe renovated and moved into its new location, having outgrown two previous practices on Albert St, Moe. This location remains the current Moe practice today. We provided both Warragul and Moe with an optical workshop and a separate room for computerised field assessment.
Moe Practice 2006
Leunig & Farmer Eyecare, 1996
Leunig and Farmer – Optometrists Pty. Ltd. became Leunig & Farmer Eyecare in 1996. In addition, we purchased the Pakenham practice from Kaye McCraw in 2001 and relocated it to 144 Main St in 2004, where it stands today.
The History of L&F Eyecare evolves today
In 2013, the practice renamed itself L&F Eyecare to preserve the historical significance of the name while also reflecting internal changes. The new leadership maintains the same commitment to patient care and continuous improvement.
They developed a new brand to usher the practice into a new era and to better embody the familiar faces that define L&F Eyecare today – warm, professional, and at the forefront of the field. This transformation aligns with our mission to uphold the highest standards of optometric care.