More than half a century ago, a group of far-sighted ophthalmologists had a pioneering vision for eye research, and in today’s ageing society, the need is greater than ever.

1953 - A group of prominent eye specialists founded The Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia (ORIA), which has now become the research arm of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO).

1994 - ORIA founded the Gift of Sight Society to highlight its work and promote awareness of the need to raise funds for eye research.

2002 - A significant injection of funds from the 2002 International Congress of Ophthalmology in Sydney gave RANZCO and The ORIA the opportunity to separate their fundraising and research activities, giving each area its own distinct focus.  As a consequence, The Eye Foundation was established with a mission to raise and invest funds for eye-related research programs. The Gift of Sight Society was integrated into The Eye Foundation.

2004 - The Board of Directors was finalised, and the first eye research projects were funded.

2006 - The first Research Scholarship was awarded, and eye-care development projects were geographically expanded to Timor Leste (East Timor) and Myanmar (Burma).

2006 -The Eye Foundation embarked on a new initiative to raise funds for four specific research projects that The Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia (ORIA) marked as a high priority.

2008 - julEYE, The Eye Foundation’s annual eye health awareness and fundraising month, was launched.

2008 - The National Indigenous Eye Health Survey (Minum Barreng Project) becomes the first of The Eye Foundation’s priority research projects to be completed. The results were launched in September 2008 by Eye Foundation Patron Her Excellency, Ms Quentin Bryce AC, Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia.