Our Story OPSM Banner

Our story

We've been bringing Australians advanced optical technology since the beginning and we’ve stayed on the cutting edge with new advancements, like the incredible Clarifye, our most sophisticated digital eye exam yet. Today, OPSM has over 400 stores across Australia and New Zealand. We’re still looking for new ways to bring you better optometry, technology, eyecare and service.

1932

The first Optical Prescription Spectacle Makers store, now commonly known as OPSM, opened in Macquarie Street Sydney, working in a staff of 5, a 6th employee (a 17-year-old trainee optical dispenser) starting the following year.

1939

OPSM started a partnership with a contact lens manufacturing service in Sydney, together with English optometrist Ken Ireland, who became the first person to make contact lenses in Australia.

1962

OPSM designs the evolution of the customer in-store experience through the creation of the first walk-up displays, so customers could select frames. Prior to this, frames were hidden away.

1970

With over 100 stores now established for the group,
OPSM acquired the license to manufacture soft contact lenses in Australia.

1995

The number of OPSM stores jumped to 268, with one of them being the first OPSM store in New Zealand.

2010

OPSM opens the Eye Hub concept store in Hawthorn, Victoria, unveiling a new brand image that was established to offer customers everything in one place.

2011

OPSM rolled out to all stores OPTOS Ultra-Wide Digital Retinal Scans, (UWDRS), which was OPSMs most advanced eyecare technology at the time.

2014

To raise awareness of children's eye health and improve the vision of children across Australia, OPSM released Penny the Pirate - the world's first free children's eye screening book and mobile phone app.

2020

OPSM understood during the initial COVID-19 outbreak that it had to rethink the way it could cater to the customer’s needs, offering the ability to use tele-optometry for its customers.

2021

OPSM introduces the Clarifye system, our most advanced digital eye exam ever, a 7-in-1 eye health screening assessment, into select stores.

There's more
to be seen