In a world where everything – including medicine – has been swayed towards prioritising convenience and speed, one Auckland optometrist remains anchored to his principles. Greymouth reporter Vihan Dalal profiles Trevor Skinner upon his retirement
As a boy growing up in South Africa, Trevor Skinner was fascinated by the fact that people in front of him were actually upside down inside his head. “I did a lot of reading about eyes and vision and all my [school] projects were based on the eye,” recalls the veteran optometrist, recently retired after almost 50 years in the industry.
Skinner’s path into optometry seemed natural. In his high-school years he worked as a technician, cutting and grinding lenses. Observing the optometrists at his workplace convinced him to make eyecare his profession. But, unlike today’s graduates, he first had to earn his stripes in the South African army.
During the bellicose 1970s, when South Africa was involved in a war with neighbouring Namibia, Zambia and Angola, Skinner joined the medical corps as part of his compulsory service. After becoming a second lieutenant, he worked at the Medical Military Institute, where he tested eyes on both fighter and commercial pilots.
It was also during this time in Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth, that Skinner met his future wife, Janice, and completed the rest of his service at a national hospital. He also met optometrist Rolf Trichard – who had just parted ways with his business partner – which led to the establishment of Trichard and Skinner. Their busy practice fitted lenses on the premises so patients could have a new set of spectacles within an hour.
