FROM THE FAMILY SHED TO MAIN STREET: BROTHERS OPEN FIRST CEDUNA BARBER IN DECADES
Sometimes the best ideas come from simply noticing what your community is missing.
For brothers Tjerayh and Tjeryan Coleman-Ware, that was a Ceduna barber, and now they have opened one themselves.
The pair run the first barber shop the South Australian town has had in about five decades, according to the ABC.
Their business is 100 per cent Aboriginal owned and operated, and it sits right on the town's main street.
It is the kind of story that makes you want to cheer.
Haircuts in the family shed
The brothers' journey began at home, with clippers and a lot of practice.
Growing up, there was nobody in town to cut their hair, so the boys took turns cutting each other's.
Tjerayh, who first picked up the clippers at 15, soon found he enjoyed it far more than his brothers did.
He told the ABC he wanted to help people feel better about how they looked.
His younger cousins became his first regular clients, and over time his skills grew more polished and technical.
Tjeryan was inspired by watching his brother at work, and before long the two were cutting hair together in the family shed.
Turning a passion into a qualification
The big turning point came in 2024, when Tjerayh found out about a training opportunity close to home.
The Ceduna Aboriginal Corporation, a community-controlled not-for-profit, was offering a Certificate III in Beauty and Barbering.
The organisation focuses on social and economic reform for Aboriginal people in the region.
The brothers signed up and completed the course together in 2025, and received their qualification in 2026.
It is a wonderful example of how local training, delivered in the right way, can open doors for young people in regional towns.
Taking a leap of faith
About two months ago, the brothers spotted a shop lease on the main street and decided to take the risk.
Starting any small business is a big step, and doing it in a regional town takes real courage.
So far, that leap of faith appears to be paying off.
Tjeryan told the ABC that people in town have been showing their support.
He said it was nice "running a shop in the town that you grew up in".
A Ceduna barber run by family
This Ceduna barber shop is very much a family affair.
A younger cousin pops in after school to sweep the floors.
The shop also sells earrings made by the brothers' mother and younger sister, so every visit supports the wider family too.
Local man Daniel Newchurch-Lawrie has been a customer since the doors first opened.
He told the ABC he remembered Tjerayh practising on his younger cousins before his skills became more advanced.
Why stories like this matter
For people in the city, a barber or hairdresser is usually just a short walk or drive away.
In smaller and more remote towns, though, everyday services we take for granted can be hard to find.
When local people step up to fill those gaps, they do more than offer a service.
They create jobs, give young people role models and build places where the community can gather and chat.
For many people, a fresh haircut is also a simple but powerful confidence boost.
How you can support local businesses like this
If you are travelling through regional Australia these holidays, it is worth seeking out small, locally owned businesses along the way.
Buying a coffee, a gift or a service from a family business keeps money in the community and helps it grow.
Leaving a kind online review or sharing a post on social media costs nothing, but can make a real difference to a new business.
And if you have a skill, why not think about how you might share it with young people in your own community?
Tjerayh and Tjeryan's story shows what can happen when talent, training and a little bit of courage come together.
From a shed full of clippers to a shop on the main street, these brothers are proof that big dreams can start very close to home.
