About Us
The People at Sharpe & Fowler
Tim Fowler
Tim Fowler joined the practice, then known as Stewart & Sharpe in 1979. At the time it was situated in Charles St behind Stewarts the jewellers, but moved in 1984 to its present location in York St. Tim and his family are originally from Victoria, and he graduated in 1976 from the University of Melbourne. A two-year stint in the Riverland district of South Australia preceeded the move to Tasmania.
Tim enjoys his work and is constantly seeking new challenges. He is committed to improving optometry standards through continuing education and is a registered prescriber of ocular therapeutics. His interests outside work include bushwalking, gardening, fishing and sailing.
Russell Todd
Russell Todd comes from Auckland, New Zealand, graduating top of class from the University of Auckland in 1997. After working in Christchurch, NZ and Adelaide SA, he came to Tasmania in September 2006 with his wife Hannah. Since then they have accumulated 2 Indian Runner ducks, 10 chickens, a cat, and most recently the adorable Elinor Kate, who arrived on April 1, 2008.
Russell completed the Graduate Certificate in Ocular Therapeutics at the University of Melbourne in 2006, allowing him to prescribe therapeutic medications for the eyes. His main areas of optometric interest are in ocular surface disorders, aids for low vision, and contact lenses.
Outside of practice, Russell has travelled extensively in the Indian sub-continent and the South Pacific through voluntary church work, picking up a fascination with languages, cultures and cuisines along the way.
Patricia Paprocki
Patricia Paprocki brings to Sharpe & Fowler clients her extensive experience in optometry - including industrial optometry, contact lenses, sports vision training and is an acredited provider of laser vision assessment. This is combined with a particular expertise in dealing with the vision problems of children with learning disabilities as well as general therapeutic optometry.
Patricia has been actively involved in research programs and has frequently given seminars to various community groups. She served for nine years with the Optometric Association as Councillor, Secretary and Vice President. She was also a member of the Board of Registration.
Patricia now resides in Brisbane but we are lucky to have her return 3 times a year for 2 weeks at a time.
Jennifer Blackwell
Jennifer Blackwell started with Sharpe and Fowler in 1987, and she has been Practice Manager for the last 16 years. She has a Diploma in Optical Dispensing from the Dispensing Opticians Guild of Australia, awarded in 1993. As well as running the practice she is central to the sourcing of the fine eyewear we are famous for.
Outside of the practice, her priorities lie with family - her husband Peter, sons Cameron and Jared, and of course Oscar and Liy, her Siamese cats. She counts art, literature, gardening and travel among her interests.
Eye Health Facts
Do exercises help eyes?
Each eye's movements are controlled by 6 different muscles - so when you move your eyes 12 different muscles are needing to work in co-operation. Luckily for most people, this all happens without having to think about it. Some people do have trouble co-ordinating the movements and the focus of their eyes, and so for these people eye exercises are helpful, leading to clearer and more comfortable vision.
However it's important to know the limitation of eye exercises. For many conditions eye exercises don't help at all. Be sure to know the cause of your vision problem before starting eye exercises - so that the right treatment is given, and so that you don't spend a lot of time exercising for no benefit.
Ask an Optometrist
Do you have questions about eye health?