COORDINARE Aboriginal Health Consultant Taneka Longbottom and Brian Dowd, the Walkabout Barber at Lakeside Reserve, Koonawarra. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
As heavy rain poured across the South Coast recently, carparks were packed with people who didn’t mind getting a bit damp – the Walkabout Barber, Brian Dowd, was in town.
At one point, former NRL player Brian was homeless, addicted to drugs and alcohol, and tried to take his own life.
His friends, family, even his mum and dad couldn’t stop him from hitting rock bottom.
Now he delivers hope to people all around Australia, one haircut at a time.
“I realised I had to save myself; then I wanted to help other people save themselves,” he said.
“I went to uni and graduated as a trauma specialist before running community and corporate programs across the country.”
Brian’s life took another turn, however, when his son was diagnosed with autism.
Haircuts were traumatic because of the level of sensory input, so Brian bought a pair of clippers and learnt how to do the job himself.
He fell in love with the clippers and found a way to take a more hands-on approach to mental health through a barbershop.
The barbershop grew into a trailer, then a truck and now a bus.
Brian has taken the Walkabout Barber to more than 150 communities across Australia and worked with thousands of people.
He also trains barbers in mental health first aid skills to empower them to better support their communities.
For his most recent trip he worked his way up the South Coast, from Bega to Narooma, Mogo, Nowra, Wollongong and finally out to Yass thanks to support from COORDINAIRE South Eastern NSW.
“Our aim is to make people feel good on the inside and the outside,” he said.
“You sit in a space with someone and they put the cape on you; it’s a magical cape, because when it’s wrapped around you, you can speak from a different place.
“People get in the chair with their heads looking down at their feet.
“Then the hair starts falling off, you start to connect, and their eyes start peering up. They start to look at themselves in the mirror, and they start to like what they see.
“It’s like you’re cutting off pain and hate and stress. Their eyes light up. It’s a really powerful process.”
COORDINARE Aboriginal Health Consultant Taneka Longbottom said wholistic services like the Walkabout Barber were essential to address the complex traumas many Aboriginal people had experienced.
“Aboriginal people are really overrepresented in our mental health system,” she said.
“Western ideas don’t always cater to our mob.
“When people have layers of trauma upon trauma and intergenerational trauma, someone who has just graduated from university isn’t equipped to deal with that.
“When you get into regional areas it’s tough for the wider community, not just the Aboriginal community, to access mental health support. The system is really stretched.
“Brian as an Aboriginal man bringing his own experience to this, that’s what has made it the success it is.
“People will come in here to the bus who would never step into a mainstream setting.
“Plus, a little bit of self-care can go a very long way.”
All clients are also invited to join a trauma and recovery workshop with Brian, as well as a suicide prevention workshop outside the bus.
The bus is open to all ages and also offers hairdressing and beauty sessions for women. All services are free of charge.
“The richest you will ever be is when you’re comfortable in your own skin and you’ve got purpose,” said Brian.
“That’s something money can’t buy.”
The Walkabout Barber is on tour until 26 May; to see where he will pop up next, check out Walkabout Barber on Facebook, Instagram or Tiktok.
If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact:
Lifeline’s 24-hour crisis support line – 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467
Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800 or kidshelpline.com.au
MensLine Australia – 1300 789 978.
