Somerville & Merrin Optometrists - Hume Street
Why choose us?
Why choose us?
Somerville & Merrin Optometrists was established in Toowoomba in 1999 by Geoff Somerville and John Merrin. More than 25 years later, the practice has grown to two locations and a team of Optometrists, Vision Therapists, Optical Dispensers and support staff.
Our Hume Street practice brings together comprehensive eye care, specialised optometry services and a team that genuinely takes the time to get to know our patients.
Alongside comprehensive eye examinations and eye health care, our Hume Street practice has a particular focus on Myopia Control, Orthokeratology (Ortho-K), contact lenses, eye disease management and Vision Therapy. Our experienced Optometrists, Vision Therapists and Optical Dispensers work together to provide solutions tailored to each patient’s individual vision, lifestyle and eye health needs.
We embrace advanced technology and continually evolving lens and contact lens options, while never losing sight of the importance of personalised care.
And when it comes to eyewear, we believe glasses should do more than help you see well. Our frames are carefully hand-picked for their quality, design and individuality, giving our patients plenty of choice to find something they genuinely love wearing.
From children visiting for their first eye examination through to lifelong patients, our aim is simple: exceptional eye care with a personal touch.
Why we chose to be independent?
Why we chose to be independent?
Being independent gives us the freedom to put our patients first.
We aren't limited to a particular range of products or a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, we can choose the technology, spectacle lenses, contact lenses, frames and treatment options that we believe will provide the best solution for each individual patient.
It also allows us to shape our practice around the areas of optometry we are passionate about, invest in new technology and continually expand the services we offer our community.
Perhaps most importantly, independence allows us to maintain the personal relationships that are at the heart of our practice. We have cared for many patients and families over generations, and we value being able to provide continuity of care in a practice where our patients are known as people, not numbers.
What we love about Toowoomba?
What we love about Toowoomba?
We love being part of the Toowoomba community. Known as Queensland’s Garden City, Toowoomba offers the warmth and connection of a regional city while still providing so much of what you would expect from a larger centre.
One of the things we particularly love about our Hume Street practice is its setting. As a stand-alone practice rather than being located within a shopping centre, it has a lovely relaxed and homely feel. With plenty of natural light and views out to our gardens, it creates a welcoming environment where our patients can feel comfortable and at ease.
We also welcome patients who travel from throughout the Darling Downs and further afield to access our specialised optometry services. For our team, Toowoomba is a wonderful place to live and work, with a strong sense of community and connection.
Clinical services
Practice facilities
Optometrists
John Merrin
Optometry wasn’t initially on my radar as a career. Late in secondary school, one of my best mates became interested in it, which prompted me to do some research of my own. We were both accepted into university and began our journey to becoming optometrists together.
My own experience with optometry actually began much earlier. As a child, I had significant vision issues and needed glasses – which, as a nine-year-old at the time, I certainly didn’t think were very cool! That experience stayed with me, and when I became an optometrist I made a promise to myself that I would make the experience a much more positive one for the children who came through my door.
Over the years, I developed a strong interest in Paediatric and Behavioural Optometry and undertook further training in this area. It has become a real passion of mine. Helping children develop their visual skills and seeing the difference this can make to their confidence, development and progress at school is incredibly rewarding.
After more than four decades in optometry, I still thoroughly enjoy my profession, the relationships I have built with patients and families, and being surrounded by a fantastic team that makes coming to work enjoyable.
Outside of optometry, I love keeping active and can often be found out cycling. I also enjoy playing the saxophone and spending time tending to my apiary and looking after my bees. I am also involved with Humeridge Church of Christ and enjoy being part of the local community.
Stephen Lucas
Growing up, almost everyone in my family needed glasses except me, and I was completely disinterested in all their talk about spectacles and contact lenses! In fact, I had never even had my eyes tested until I reached university.
When it came time to choose a career, I was looking for something that would combine my love of maths and science with helping people and serving the community. I considered several health professions, but after spending a week doing work experience with a talented and progressive optometrist in Year 12, something just clicked and I knew optometry was the right fit for me.
What I still love about optometry is the incredible variety. No two days – or two pairs of eyes – are ever quite the same. One appointment might involve diagnosing and managing eye disease, while the next could be fitting contact lenses, managing a child's myopia or simply helping someone see more clearly with a new pair of glasses.
I also love the technology involved in modern optometry and being able to use some seriously cool equipment to better understand a patient's eyes. Ultimately though, it is using that knowledge and technology to make a genuine difference to someone's vision, eye health and quality of life that makes the job so rewarding.
There really is never a dull day – and it's the person behind the eyes that makes it all worthwhile.
Outside of optometry, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two daughters, getting out for a walk, cooking and following the AFL. I also play the viola and enjoy volunteering on the coffee team at my local church – so there's usually plenty to keep me busy when I'm not at the practice!
Kate Merrin
I grew up around optometry, but it wasn't always a given that I would become an optometrist myself. I knew I wanted a career in healthcare, and it was while working at Somerville & Merrin during my high school years that I began to see optometry as something I could genuinely picture myself doing long-term.
I loved the idea of meeting people and their families, building relationships over time and providing care that could make a real difference to how someone functions in their everyday life.
Since graduating, one of the things I have loved most about optometry is discovering just how diverse the profession can be. I've continued further study in Vision Therapy and Behavioural Optometry, and even travelled to the United States to undertake further training and gain my qualification in Neurovisual Medicine. This has allowed me to develop a particular interest in Binocular Vision Dysfunction and helping patients experiencing complex visual symptoms that can sometimes be difficult to explain.
I love that there is always more to learn in optometry. Every patient brings a different story and a different set of visual needs, and being able to take the time to investigate those needs, find solutions and hopefully make everyday life a little easier for someone is incredibly rewarding.
Outside of optometry, I love spending time in the garden, getting lost in a good book and pretty much anything involving music! I enjoy having creative and relaxing outlets away from work and am always happy when there's a good book, a garden project or something musical involved.
Benjamin Gambrill
When I was considering career pathways, I knew I was drawn to allied health and wanted a profession where I could use my skills to help people. Optometry appealed to me because it brought together my interests in maths and science with the opportunity to make a practical difference to someone's vision and quality of life.
What I enjoy most about optometry is the variety and problem-solving involved. Every patient is different, and there isn't always a one-size-fits-all solution. I particularly enjoy contact lens fitting, including rigid and orthokeratology contact lenses, where every case can present a different challenge and requires an individual approach.
I also enjoy the broad scope of optometry, from helping someone see more clearly to detecting and managing eye disease. Being able to find a solution that improves someone's vision, comfort or everyday life is what continues to make the profession so rewarding for me.
Outside of work, I love spending time with my wife and family. When I get a little spare time, you'll usually find me out in the garden or settling down with a good book. I enjoy the quieter things in life and spending time at home with the people who matter most.
Katalin Kruchio
What I love about optometry is the opportunity to combine healthcare, science and problem-solving while making a meaningful difference to people's everyday lives.
Throughout my career, I have continued to build my knowledge across different areas of optometry, completing further qualifications in Ocular Therapeutics, Vision Therapy and Advanced Contact Lenses. I particularly enjoy dry eye management, myopia control and ocular disease management, where being able to provide personalised care can make a significant difference to a patient's comfort, vision and long-term eye health.
For me, good optometric care is also about the person behind the eyes. I believe every patient deserves to be treated with compassion, to feel listened to and to receive high-quality eye care that considers their individual needs. Being able to build those relationships and help people maintain their vision and eye health is what continues to make optometry such a rewarding profession.
Outside of optometry, I love spending time with my family and my cat. I enjoy keeping active and also have a creative side, with numerous crafts keeping me busy in my spare time. It's a lovely balance to work and gives me plenty of ways to relax and unwind.
Giving back
Being part of our local and wider community is incredibly important to us, and one of the ways we give back is by sharing our knowledge, expertise and services beyond the walls of our practice.
We regularly connect with local GPs, optometrists and allied health professionals to share information about the specialised services we offer and how we can work collaboratively to complement their care and support their patients.
Children’s vision is another area we are particularly passionate about. We provide education to local primary school teachers to help them recognise signs that a child may be experiencing a vision problem and understand when further assessment may be beneficial.
Our commitment also extends beyond Toowoomba. Each year, members of our team travel to the rural community of Warialda in New South Wales, where we provide eye examinations for local children through Warialda Public School.
Whether through professional collaboration, education or taking eye care into a rural community, we value opportunities to use our skills to support better vision and eye health within our community and beyond.
Clinical services
Optometrists
John Merrin
Optometry wasn’t initially on my radar as a career. Late in secondary school, one of my best mates became interested in it, which prompted me to do some research of my own. We were both accepted into university and began our journey to becoming optometrists together.
My own experience with optometry actually began much earlier. As a child, I had significant vision issues and needed glasses – which, as a nine-year-old at the time, I certainly didn’t think were very cool! That experience stayed with me, and when I became an optometrist I made a promise to myself that I would make the experience a much more positive one for the children who came through my door.
Over the years, I developed a strong interest in Paediatric and Behavioural Optometry and undertook further training in this area. It has become a real passion of mine. Helping children develop their visual skills and seeing the difference this can make to their confidence, development and progress at school is incredibly rewarding.
After more than four decades in optometry, I still thoroughly enjoy my profession, the relationships I have built with patients and families, and being surrounded by a fantastic team that makes coming to work enjoyable.
Outside of optometry, I love keeping active and can often be found out cycling. I also enjoy playing the saxophone and spending time tending to my apiary and looking after my bees. I am also involved with Humeridge Church of Christ and enjoy being part of the local community.
Stephen Lucas
Growing up, almost everyone in my family needed glasses except me, and I was completely disinterested in all their talk about spectacles and contact lenses! In fact, I had never even had my eyes tested until I reached university.
When it came time to choose a career, I was looking for something that would combine my love of maths and science with helping people and serving the community. I considered several health professions, but after spending a week doing work experience with a talented and progressive optometrist in Year 12, something just clicked and I knew optometry was the right fit for me.
What I still love about optometry is the incredible variety. No two days – or two pairs of eyes – are ever quite the same. One appointment might involve diagnosing and managing eye disease, while the next could be fitting contact lenses, managing a child's myopia or simply helping someone see more clearly with a new pair of glasses.
I also love the technology involved in modern optometry and being able to use some seriously cool equipment to better understand a patient's eyes. Ultimately though, it is using that knowledge and technology to make a genuine difference to someone's vision, eye health and quality of life that makes the job so rewarding.
There really is never a dull day – and it's the person behind the eyes that makes it all worthwhile.
Outside of optometry, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two daughters, getting out for a walk, cooking and following the AFL. I also play the viola and enjoy volunteering on the coffee team at my local church – so there's usually plenty to keep me busy when I'm not at the practice!
Kate Merrin
I grew up around optometry, but it wasn't always a given that I would become an optometrist myself. I knew I wanted a career in healthcare, and it was while working at Somerville & Merrin during my high school years that I began to see optometry as something I could genuinely picture myself doing long-term.
I loved the idea of meeting people and their families, building relationships over time and providing care that could make a real difference to how someone functions in their everyday life.
Since graduating, one of the things I have loved most about optometry is discovering just how diverse the profession can be. I've continued further study in Vision Therapy and Behavioural Optometry, and even travelled to the United States to undertake further training and gain my qualification in Neurovisual Medicine. This has allowed me to develop a particular interest in Binocular Vision Dysfunction and helping patients experiencing complex visual symptoms that can sometimes be difficult to explain.
I love that there is always more to learn in optometry. Every patient brings a different story and a different set of visual needs, and being able to take the time to investigate those needs, find solutions and hopefully make everyday life a little easier for someone is incredibly rewarding.
Outside of optometry, I love spending time in the garden, getting lost in a good book and pretty much anything involving music! I enjoy having creative and relaxing outlets away from work and am always happy when there's a good book, a garden project or something musical involved.
Benjamin Gambrill
When I was considering career pathways, I knew I was drawn to allied health and wanted a profession where I could use my skills to help people. Optometry appealed to me because it brought together my interests in maths and science with the opportunity to make a practical difference to someone's vision and quality of life.
What I enjoy most about optometry is the variety and problem-solving involved. Every patient is different, and there isn't always a one-size-fits-all solution. I particularly enjoy contact lens fitting, including rigid and orthokeratology contact lenses, where every case can present a different challenge and requires an individual approach.
I also enjoy the broad scope of optometry, from helping someone see more clearly to detecting and managing eye disease. Being able to find a solution that improves someone's vision, comfort or everyday life is what continues to make the profession so rewarding for me.
Outside of work, I love spending time with my wife and family. When I get a little spare time, you'll usually find me out in the garden or settling down with a good book. I enjoy the quieter things in life and spending time at home with the people who matter most.
Katalin Kruchio
What I love about optometry is the opportunity to combine healthcare, science and problem-solving while making a meaningful difference to people's everyday lives.
Throughout my career, I have continued to build my knowledge across different areas of optometry, completing further qualifications in Ocular Therapeutics, Vision Therapy and Advanced Contact Lenses. I particularly enjoy dry eye management, myopia control and ocular disease management, where being able to provide personalised care can make a significant difference to a patient's comfort, vision and long-term eye health.
For me, good optometric care is also about the person behind the eyes. I believe every patient deserves to be treated with compassion, to feel listened to and to receive high-quality eye care that considers their individual needs. Being able to build those relationships and help people maintain their vision and eye health is what continues to make optometry such a rewarding profession.
Outside of optometry, I love spending time with my family and my cat. I enjoy keeping active and also have a creative side, with numerous crafts keeping me busy in my spare time. It's a lovely balance to work and gives me plenty of ways to relax and unwind.
Giving back
Being part of our local and wider community is incredibly important to us, and one of the ways we give back is by sharing our knowledge, expertise and services beyond the walls of our practice.
We regularly connect with local GPs, optometrists and allied health professionals to share information about the specialised services we offer and how we can work collaboratively to complement their care and support their patients.
Children’s vision is another area we are particularly passionate about. We provide education to local primary school teachers to help them recognise signs that a child may be experiencing a vision problem and understand when further assessment may be beneficial.
Our commitment also extends beyond Toowoomba. Each year, members of our team travel to the rural community of Warialda in New South Wales, where we provide eye examinations for local children through Warialda Public School.
Whether through professional collaboration, education or taking eye care into a rural community, we value opportunities to use our skills to support better vision and eye health within our community and beyond.