Welcome to the Victorian College of Optometry

The Victorian College of Optometry is a learned professional institution. Its broad mission is the advancement of education and research in optometry which it pursues in a number of ways.

It cooperates with the University in the training of optometry students and the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences of the University is located within the premises of the College. The College was originally founded in 1939 to train optometrists and although this has long since been the responsibility of the University of Melbourne, the College continues to work closely with the University in optometric education.

The College has an important library, the Nathan Library, which is an excellent collection in vision science, optics and optometry. The Library has an archive collection of documents, spectacles and ophthalmic instruments that records the history of optometry.

The College provides annual programmes of Professional Development for optometrists and it fosters and encourages research.

The College took the initiative in 1972 to establish the National Vision Research Institute of Australia which is a division of the College and has its own Board of Management.  The College more recently took the initiative in 2002 to establish Clinical Vision Research Australia as an applied clinical research divison of the College. Both the NVRI and CVRA are housed in the College Building.

The College also operates a major optometry clinic which provides low cost eye care for people of limited means and a range of specialist optometric diagnostic and treatment services for people referred by optometrists and medical practitioners. The Clinic also welcomes university students and university staff.

The College is also responsible for the Victorian EyeCare Service which brings low cost optometric services to people living in the country.