about us

We're providing skills, aligning people to their purpose and strengthening communities.

who We are

Deadly Hair Dude was born out of a clear need for hairdressers in remote parts of the Northern Territory. Over 35,000 Indigenous people live across 150+ remote communities and homelands.

Services others take for granted such as having a regular cut or colour are nowhere to be seen. Gary Strachan and his business partner, Paul Ravenarki, bring a formidable combination of skills and experience to apply. Gary was a Lawyer with previous legal aid experience. He has vast business experience and has owned and operated bakeries, electrical and hairdressing businesses for over 40 years. Paul is a school teacher with special needs training experience and together, their talents have seen Deadly Hair Dude remote hairdressing training services come alive.

We opened our first salon on 10th August 2020 at 14 Knuckey Street, Darwin with its unique Indigenous last frontier theme.

The Model

Our trainees are evidence that the model is working and that the bigger picture is possible. We start with cuts then trial sessions, before moving onto foundation skills. We build to Certificates 2 and 3 in Hairdressing and then we assist communities to set up their own salons with support from Deadly Hair Dude.

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The learning model “I do, we do, you do” suited to Indigenous students starts when we visit a community.

The business model is one that is sustainable, the support is ongoing with style advice, administration, stock ordering to gain advantages of bulk buying, business governance and an interest from the Deadly Hair Dude enterprise that keeps the model contemporary and the community salons hitting the high notes.

Larrakia/Warai woman from Darwin and Adelaide River, the first student of Gary Strachan to become a qualified hairdresser, says “Gary’s training program is different as he builds in practical sessions early and this builds your confidence. He encouraged and promoted me and I achieved many awards and have since gone on to own my own businesses. We may end up doing business together again as I own the Indigenous Road Safety Academy.”

We believe there are many benefits from haircuts including confidence, a genuine lift in well being, energy, improved hygiene and health standards.

We believe learning a skill such as hairdressing results in people having a purpose, a higher level of self esteem and connection to community grows and strengthens.

We believe this because we get feedback from community members getting their haircut, the youth and program workers send us letters about it, elders and traditional owners attend the salons, mothers and fathers ask us when we are coming back.

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the next phase and the vision

After consultation with communities, the vision is to have a Deadly Hair Dude salon in each community that wants one, with a supported plan leading to local choices and increased capability. We respect and support self determination.

Our learning model is working - we have four Indigenous students who have completed the requirements in Certificate 2 Hairdressing in our Darwin salon. Our next phase will see remote students gain further support to work beyond the trial and foundation levels to also obtain a Certificate 2. We see our student numbers multiplying over time to allow qualified Indigenous hairdressers training and supporting students in remote communities. Over a time horizon of four to five years, our vision is to have appropriately qualified Indigenous hairdressers delivering the services required by each community that wants a salon.

We have been approached to extend our capacity building model with school students, people with lived experience in detention and to other service lines in the near future.