PBO board members Damian Koppens, Adrian Paterson, David Burn and CEO Cale Stevenson celebrate a century in optics

Independent optometry group Paterson Burn has clocked up a century of optometry care in the Waikato region. Wrapping up 2025 and marking this historic occasion, Paterson Burn celebrated with a gathering of board members, staff and business partners at Alpino in Cambridge.

In a bid to capture the century for the future, the Paterson Burn leadership team invited attendees to write a few words to go into a stainless-steel time capsule to be placed into a wall of one of the group’s practices due for a refit. “As we celebrate 100 years, we’re not just looking back, we’re looking ahead to how we continue delivering the absolute best in eye care,” said CEO Cale Stevenson.

What began in 1925 as a single practice – Lawrence Andrews Opticians, on Hamilton’s Victoria Street – the venture has since developed into a successful group with nine practices across Waikato, Bay of Plenty and the Auckland region. The Paterson Burn name came in 1995, when the practices of Adrian Paterson and David Burn merged.

For Burn, the centennial is a proud milestone. “To be part of a locally owned business that’s lasted 100 years is incredibly humbling. It’s a testament to the trust our community places in us.” Paterson agreed, adding, "What began almost a century ago as a single location has grown – but our commitment to exceptional eyecare and personal service remains unchanged.”

For the celebration, they created a timeline of the last century to illustrate where the practice has come from, Stevenson said. “[Within just a couple of years of opening] it was the Great Depression. They got through that and then, within another couple of years, it was the Second World War. And to still be standing after all that there needs to be something in our DNA, an element of grit and tenacity and doing the right thing, because not everyone is still here,” he said.

“This is the foundation of who we are as a business and it has allowed us to grow and get to where we are today. Our longevity comes down to a clear and consistent approach: putting people first, maintaining a strong culture and focusing on long-term sustainability rather than short-term gains,” Stevenson said.

Clinical director Damian Koppens said, “What makes Paterson Burn special is that we are a team that values connection, innovation and genuine care. We’re proud of where we’ve been and even more excited about where we are headed.”

The formal establishment of dedicated optical practices in New Zealand occurred around the turn of the 20th century, according to the New Zealand Association of Optometry (formed in 1912), and optometry became a regulated profession in New Zealand with the passing of the Opticians Act in 1928.

Congratulations, Paterson Burn, many happy returns!