Our Team

Catherine Baxendale has been working in Wellington as an optometrist since 2003.

She enjoys seeing people of all stages in life, and treating anterior eye conditions.

Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family and doing yoga.

Kevin O’Connor has been practising optometry in Lower Hutt since 1995.

He studied in Wellington – at Wellington College, a Bachelor of Science from Victoria University, followed by a Bachelor of Optometry from the University of Auckland.

Kevin enjoys helping people and his interests within optometry are contact lenses and treating anterior eye conditions.

He didn't know he needed a puppy, but with 3 grown-up kids, there's now time for dog walking.

Leith O’Connor has also been practising optometry in Lower Hutt since 1995, joining the business alongside Kevin.

She studied in Auckland for her Bachelor of Optometry. Her interests in optometry include managing myopia for young eyes.

With 3 children of her own, Leith enjoys seeing kids for their vision care, from pre-schoolers to the taller teens.

Laura Watson qualified as a Dispensing Optician in 2001 and has worked in a number of Hutt Valley and Wellington City optometrist practices. Laura has been Petone’s local Optician since 2017, and earned a business qualification from WelTec in Petone in 2018. 

In 2022, Laura bought the Petone practice from Kevin and Leith, renaming it Eyes on Petone.   Laura is active in the Lower Hutt community, with children who have attended local schools, and is involved in Scouting and Rotary in the Hutt. Her goal is to increase Eyes on Petone’s connections with the local community and businesses.

Kirsty joined the team in 2023 and is usually the first person you see or talk to at Eyes on Petone.

Kirsty loves to chat and will make you feel welcome, help you book an appointment for time that suits you, answer questions and runs the EFT-POS machine.

Brian Hallinan has absolutely no optical training - so don’t ask him to look at your eyes. 

Brian’s background is in government policy, planning, finance and management, and he’s been involved in the community via Scouting and as the chair of a school board of trustees.

He keeps Eyes on Petone’s back office running, updates the website and occasionally drops off the emergency chocolate biscuit supplies.