Two people from Westernport Vet

Our History

WVC is proud to have a long history as an independent, family centred, local business offering the very best in care for the pets of the Westernport community.  

Westernport Veterinary Clinics began with the opening of Hastings Vet Clinic by Dr. Andrew Browne on November 1st, 1976. The clinic was initially small, with only a consulting room, a shared kennel space, and minimal equipment.
At that time, there was only one other veterinarian providing services on the Mornington Peninsula. 

  • 1981

    Dr. Mark and Sue West purchased the clinic, and the practice expanded to offer a broader range of services. There were lots of bone pinning’s and exploratory laparotomies, cow calving’s, horse geldings and of course small animal medicine. There were very few places to refer complex cases. During this time, the clinic was equipped with basic x-ray technology, manual film development, early anesthesia machines, and initially anaesthetic monitoring involved only a stethoscope. 

  • 1985

    The Somerville Vet Clinic opened in 1985, with Sue West managing the practice for many years. Between 1986 and 1991, Andrew Browne rejoined the business, and the Balnarring Vet Clinic was also established. 

  • 2009

    In 2009, Dr. Matt Ray and Dr. Alison Tudor joined the partnership with Mark and Sue. After 37 years of ownership, Mark and Sue retired in 2018. By 2015, WVC had shifted its focus entirely to companion animal care, ceasing large animal services. On-call work ended in 2018 with the opening of local emergency centres on the peninsula. 

    The Hastings Clinic has undergone many renovations over the years, with a major expansion in 2013 that added more consultation rooms, a dedicated surgical theatre, and separate wards for dogs, cats, and isolation cases. More recent improvements include a dedicated cat consult room and wellness space for rehabilitation and low-stress treatments. 

  • 2019

    The Somerville Clinic was also renovated in 2019 to create additional consultation and imaging rooms, as well as a full in-house laboratory. In 2025, the Somerville site will be expanded with a brand-new clinic, featuring new spaces for cats, dogs, and anxious pets, along with updated surgical and dental areas. 

  • 2023

    In July 2023, after over a decade of service with WVC, Dr. Abbey Scott and Dr. Jessica Fielding joined the partnership. As the clinic continues to grow, from a sole charge clinic at Hastings back in 1976 to a 16 vet practice with branches in Hastings, Somerville and Balnarring, we are proud to provide a high level of veterinary medicine and surgery across all our practices. We are honored to be the largest independent veterinary practice, dedicated to providing exceptional and personalised care for the pets of the Mornington Peninsula.