Toowoomba barber Greg Gabbett retires after more than five decades

After more than 50 years of telling jokes and sharing stories, as well as a haircut or two, barber Greg Gabbett has decided to call it a day.

ALL DONE” Toowoomba barber Greg Gabbett has retired. Picture: Kevin Farmer

If there was one guarantee for anyone visiting barber Greg Gabbett, it’s that you would walk away with a fresh cut, a joke and a story or two.

Now, after more than 50 years, the popular barber has decided to hang up the clippers, back away the comb and enjoy a well-earnt retirement.

Beginning a barber’s apprenticeship in Toowoomba as a 14-year-old in 1959, Greg said he had thoroughly enjoyed his time lopping the locks of the Darling Downs.

“There were 11 of us in the family, and I came home from school one day and there was two ads in the paper, one for an apprentice butcher and one for an apprentice barber,” Greg said.

“My mother, a very wise woman, pointed to my twin brother and said ‘you will be the butcher’, and she pointed to me and said ‘you will be the barber’, and that was it.”

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN: This picture was taken during the 1965 Carnival of Flowers of the hairdressing salon where apprentice Greg Gabbett completed his apprenticeship with Sid Bousen. The salon (which no longer exists) was in the Tatts Hotel in Margaret St and was decorated out at every carnival.

After a three month trial Greg said it was clear his mother had made the right choice.

“I’ve enjoyed every day at work, it’s great to have a job that you love and I have definitely loved mine,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter what job you do, if you enjoy it it’s worth it, and I feel very lucky that I got to enjoy going to work.”

Toowoomba barber Greg Gabbett has retired. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Owning and operating his West Street business since 1964 Greg said he had seen many things change over the decades, but given enough time the hair trends that were once old become new again.

“When I started it was all short back and sides, and then you had the Beatle look with the long mop hair and now the short back and sides are back again, as well as the mullets,” he said.

“It’s always changing but every five or six years the styles that were out come back again.”

Greg’s influence on Toowoomba extended beyond his work as a barber.

Mark Copland sent in this photo of the South Toowoomba Polocrosse A Grade Team who were winners of the 1963-64 Queensland Championships. Pictured are (from left) Greg Gabbett, Ray 'Joe’ Moore, Harold McClachlan, Graham Geddes, John Bain and Keith Anderson. Photo Contributed

As a polocrosse player Greg and his team claimed the 1963-64 Queensland Championships during his eight year playing career.

A noted sprinter, Greg competed in the gifts around the east coast along with John “Cracker” McDonald and was a conditioning trainer for the All Whites (Brothers) Rugby League Club for years during the 1980s.

Greg said the decision to leave the profession was a difficult one, but after a recent health scare it became clear that at 76 he wanted to spend more time with his three sons and daughter, as well as his ten grandchildren and great-grandchild.

“I will definitely miss the people, I think that’s the hardest thing because I love all of the people I get to see,” he said.

“What was brilliant was that I had a rule in my shop that you weren’t allowed to use your mobile phone, and I guess while that didn’t mean people had to talk I definitely was.

Toowoomba barber Greg Gabbett has retired, pictured here at his Wellcamp property with his horse Secret, Thursday, June 3, 2021. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“I always liked to give them a joke and a story and the haircuts are like the jokes they repeat themselves every 10 years.

“Hardest haircut I ever had to do I was when I said ‘how do you want your haircut’ and he said ‘in silence’.”