Our History
Originally known as the Australian Retinitis Pigmentosa Association, Retina Australia was incorporated in 1983. Initially it was made up of the State based bodies from Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. The Queensland, Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania and the Northern Territory groups joined between 1985 and 1991. The aim of the organisation was to combine funds raised by the States and allocate them to Australian medical researchers in the field of inherited eye disease.
The organisation was renamed Retina Australia in 1993 after the International Retinitis Pigmentosa Association became Retina International and broadened its scope to focus on not just Retinitis Pigmentosa but all inherited retinal diseases. Retina Australia is a member of Retina International.
In 2019, Retina Australia became a single, national body under a new Constitution, with its head office based in Melbourne. It currently is led by the Chair, Leighton Boyd AM, with a volunteer Board of Directors, and its inaugural Chief Executive Officer, Julia Hall, joining in October 2022.
Retina Australia celebrated its 40 year anniversary at the Annual General Meeting on 28 October 2023.
We thank you for the wonderful messages of congratulations that have been received, especially those from members, researchers and research institutions, who have sent in stories of Retina Australia’s impact and influence. You can read some of these stories below.
Stories of impact
Read the stories of some of our members, research institutions and researchers who have been involved with Retina Australia over the past 40 years.
Researcher – Associate Professor Rick Liu
Introducing Associate Professor Guei-Sheung (Rick) Liu from the University of Melbourne and Centre for Eye Research Australia, Melbourne, Australia How...
Researcher – Associate Professor Riccardo Natoli
I am Associate Professor Riccardo Natoli, the current Head of Clear Vision Research at...
Research Institution – Centre for Eye Research Australia
The Bionic Eye Project
Researcher – Associate Professor Lauren Ayton
Introducing Associate Professor Lauren Ayton from the University of Melbourne and Centre for Eye...
Life member – Richard Rigby
When and how did you get involved with Retina Australia? When I was about 26 years old, 45 years ago. I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa...
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