Five Minutes With: Optometrist Michael Feng from Boneham Peters, Mosman.

By ANNA USHER

We all love quick reads, and that’s where “Five Minutes With” comes in. Each instalment of this new column will put a lower north shore local in the spotlight, sharing a glimpse into their personality, professional accomplishments – and the contributions they make to our community.

Describe your line of work.

I have been an Optometrist for ten years, and along with my wife Sarah and father-in-law (Gavin Boneham), we opened an independent optometry practice called Boneham Peters Optometrist in 2023.

What sets Boneham Peters apart from other Optometrists?

We invest in the latest technology to aid early detection and monitoring of a range of ocular conditions. Gavin has a keen interest complex corneal issues (keratoconus) and in myopia control in children and has pioneered orthokeratology throughout his career. He is also the President of the Orthokeratology of Oceania Society.

Our eyewear selection is carefully curated and every year we choose new season releases and frames that we think the Mosman community will love. Our style is fun, slightly wild and unique.

What do you love about Mosman?

Over the past 18 months, we’ve felt incredibly welcomed by residents and I love the everyday conversations with our patients.

Boneham Peters has an old school philosophy where our patients are part of our family and that’s exactly how we feel about Mosman, where everyone looks out for one another and we’re so proud to be part of it.

What is your personal connection to this area?

Mosman has a special place in my wife’s family as her great grandmother grew up here in the 40’s and ran a fruit shop on Military Road (where Athletes Foot is now). Her grandmother went to Mosman High school.

Since being here the last 18 months, we have a been blown away with some of the connections between our family and some of Mosman’s community. Gavin’s uncle is great friends with Anthony O’Gorman’s father (our shop neighbour) from when they used to work in the meat industry together.

Describe how you would spend an ideal day or weekend in Mosman?

An ideal day would be to start at Avenue Rd café for coffee and a bite to eat, then go down to either Balmoral for a swim or Taronga Zoo as my daughter loves the Zoo. Then come back to the Buena for a late lunch or early dinner.

Do you have a favourite local shop?

My favourite shop is a tie between The Floral Craftsman and One French Summer. Matt is such a wonderful friendly guy, and we love brightening our practice up with his wonderful creations and lovely scents. Jen at One French Summer always has the best gifts and my daughter cannot leave without a new book, toy or dress.

What’s one of the best bits about your shop?

The parking is fantastic! We also take a lot of pride in our shop and the vision was to match our unique eyewear with the elevated interior vibe. Unlike other optometry practices, we have high ceilings and skylights which allow you to see yourself in the most natural setting.

What eyewear styles do lower north shore residents like?

Our niche is eyewear that evokes compliments and conversation. The Mosman community likes quality eyewear that is not loud in branding – but interesting with construction, shapes and colours.

What is the price range at Boneham Peters?

Our price of eyewear starts from $400 – $2000. We have a budget range that we also carry for patients and offer health fund gap free glasses if needed. The higher end price range features eyewear with 18ct silver or 9ct gold detailing.

Your top tips for looking after your glasses?

Top tip is to throw your lens cloth into the washing machine periodically as oils, dirt and grime can build up.

“If it’s not on your face, it’s in your case” is a phrase you should live by to look after your glasses, your lenses are most likely to get damaged in your bag or pockets.

Bring your glasses into our store once a year or more for a proper maintenance, we can tighten all the screws, reshape them if they are loose and ill-fitting and change any grubby nose pads or temple tips if needed. We will give the lenses a professional clean and replace them if needed.

Finish this sentence. A good pair of glasses can…

Turn something you must wear into something you love to wear, elevating and complementing your personal style and personality.