Our Optometrists

Stuart Mackay

Director & Optometrist 
Bsc. (hons.) MC. Optom

Stuart studied at University in Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated in 1994 with a diploma in ophthalmic dispensing and again in 1998 with an honours degree in Optometry. In 1999 following a year in private practice in Edinburgh, Scotland he passed the professional exams from the British College of Optometry in the UK.

For the next two years he worked as an optometrist at the biggest contact lens practice in the UK located in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. After four years of work in private practice in the North East of England, Stuart decided to emigrate to Adelaide and continue work in an independent practice. He became a director of Thomas & Mackay in 2009.

Stuart has an interest in all aspects of optometry, but particularly contact lenses.

Esther Nguyen

Optometrist - Norwood
BMedSci / MOptom

Esther completed her Masters of Optometry with Ocular Therapeutics in 2015 at Flinders University. She enjoys all aspects of general optometry but is particularly passionate about finding vision solutions to suit each patient's individual needs.

Chris Thomson

Optometrist - Norwood
Dip.App. Sc (Optom), Grad. Cert. Oc. Therapeutics (Melb),
Grad. Cert. Clinical Ed. (Flinders)

Chris graduated from Queensland University of Technology in 1979 and after a year practicing in Perth bought a practice in Whyalla. He operated two practices in Whyalla and travelled regularly to Cleve, Cowell and Kimba providing eyecare to upper Eyre Peninsula. In 1991 he took over his fathers practice at Glenside while continuing to practice in Whyalla.

He completed postgraduate ocular therapeutics training at the University of Melbourne in 2009 becoming one of the first optometrists in South Australia permitted to prescribe S4 drugs to treat eye disease. In 2012 he attained his Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education from Flinders University.

In September 2019 he joined Thomas & Mackay in Norwood.

Barbara Velkos

Optometrist - Norwood, Aldgate, & Goolwa
BMedSc(VisSc),MOpt

Barbara is a graduate of Flinders University, obtaining her Bachelor of Medical Science (Vision Science) / Master of Optometry in 2018, which includes topical medication prescribing for eye conditions. She started her career in corporate practice, then moved over to Thomas & Mackay full-time in January 2022.

Adelaide-born and passionate about serving our local communities, she consults across all three of our practices with a warm, accommodating and involved style that always puts her patients first.

Barbara enjoys all aspects of general practice, especially the screening and monitoring of internal eye health conditions (e.g. cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and glaucoma). Outside of work, she dabbles in creative writing, playing piano, and console gaming.