History of Carl Zeiss Australia

1857	While Carl Zeiss was busy making microscopes in Jena, Germany, another German family by the name of Dechert arrived in Australia to settle.
1920s	The four sons in the Dechert family, established contact with Carl Zeiss Germany with a view of obtaining the ZEISS-Agency for the fifth continent. In partnership with E.C. Heyne, they formed the company E.C. Heyne Pty Ltd, as the ZEISS agent in Australia.
1939	Despite the death of Heyne, the business continued to flourish with the Dechert brothers at the helm.
WW II	Activities were somewhat interrupted by World War II and following the war, while the Dechert brothers continued their good work, they found themselves 'exclusive' agents for two ZEISS companies: one from West Germany and the other from East Germany.
1950s	In the mid-50s, Heiner Jaherling from Carl Zeiss West Germany was transferred to Sydney, Australia to join E.C. Heyne Pty Ltd.
1961	Carl Zeiss Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carl Zeiss Oberkochen was formed.
1963	Branch offices were established in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland. The product range was extended by entry into the ophthalmic eyewear field, the establishment of the Survey and Photogrammetric Section, and the expansion of the Zeiss-Ikon agency (taken over from E.C. Heyne Pty Ltd).
1978	New Zealand Branch offices were established in Wellington and Christchurch.
1980	Shifted the Christchurch operations to a central New Zealand office in Auckland.
2002	Introduction of The Carl Zeiss Vision: The Bridge from the Present to the Future.
2003	Relocated our headquarters from Camperdown to North Ryde, NSW. Shifted from a branch office model to a home office model, which resulted in our closing of the Wellington, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide branch offices.
2005	Re-established a direct sales and service presence in Western Australia having moved to a partner model in 2000.
2008	Carl Zeiss Australasia employs more than 80 staff members. Australian Branch offices are centralised within a newly expanded Sydney Head Office, supported by an Auckland based New Zealand office. After 25 years, reentered the electron microscopy business directly. Entered the surgical ophthalmology consumable business with the introduction of ZEISS intraocular lenses and viscoelastics.