By Coquohalla Connor,Katherine Spackman

Copyright abc

For Juliann Mutch, the journey from Mildura in north-west Victoria to Wilcannia in far west New South Wales is filled with memories.

While she now lives in Mildura, she grew up not far from Wilcannia, on a station called Mona Vale.

For the past four years, she’s been making the 1,000-kilometre round trip to Wilcannia every six weeks to cut locals’ hair.

But for Mrs Mutch, it’s about more than styling hair. She says the stories and community the far west has to offer keep her coming back.

“These women work so hard in the outback,” she said.

‘My day to look after me’

The makeover magic all happens in an op shop on Wilcannia’s main street.

It’s local schoolteacher Karen O’Donnell’s day off and she’s in the chair getting her hair done.

Aunty O’Donnell’s days at the local central school are hectic and she finds being pampered a welcome break from a busy schedule.

Since Aunty O’Donnell, a Barkindji elder, returned to Wilcannia about five years ago, she has been making appointments with the travelling hairdresser.

“I work four days a week, so Julie knows that my fifth day is my day off to look after me,” she said.

“So she did offer for me to come in and have a little package and [I’m] loving the experience.”

Aunty O’Donnell believes Mrs Mutch’s history in the area makes it easier for her to connect with locals.

“You just can’t get anyone to do her job that she does,” she said.

“She does travel to other smaller towns like Bourke [but] she really relates well with my family here — Barkindji mob and also non-Barkindji.”

It was also an opportunity for locals to access a service that “bigger towns” had, Ms O’Donnell said.

“Wilcannia is a wonderful place to live. It’s been bagged out for a long time and look, it’s just a lovely place and there are some beautiful people in town,” she said.

The salon chair also doubles as a safe space where nothing is off the table.

Natalie Batson, a mother of three who works on a station near Wilcannia, travels 40km to see Mrs Mutch.

She said, like Aunty O’Donnell, her life was busy.

They spend the appointment talking about beauty tips and life, the good parts and the bad.

“Today I had my hair washed, which for station wives, that’s a big thing,” Ms Batson said.

“[I] have my hair washed, blow dried, straightened and styled and Juliann’s always up for helping me with little styling tips to make my life easier, which is invaluable.

She said the service was invaluable to the community.

“She’s one of our heroes, our travelling hairdresser, and it’s a big ask for Juliann to be travelling these distances on the roads that sometimes get presented to her,” Mrs Baton said.

“I already have to travel 40kms just to get into town … If we didn’t have this service [it] would be Broken Hill and for me that’s 250kms one way.”

Giving back

Mrs Mutch, who took up hairdressing 40 years ago after work experience in high school, likes the idea of giving back to her community via a service that is not often available.

She has been cutting hair and offering a safe space for a chat since starting with a salon in Broken Hill when she was 22.

After having children and moving to Mildura, she felt a need to return to the region.

“I like to make people feel special,” she said.

“I think you can change someone’s day with a bit of kindness and looking sensational.

“My family property is up near Wilcannia and I just wanted to look after them.

“They haven’t got that service so I wanted to bring that to them.”

While the journey can be “monotonous” she finds the kilometres of empty highway give her time to think and reflect.

“It’s thinking time,” she said.

“I have a lot of audio books I listen to. It’s a means to an end and I enjoy it.”