'It's been like a home', said Kogarah hairdresser Georgina Kollias. Picture supplied

The St George community is bidding a fond farewell to a Kogarah icon as Georgina Kollias, affectionately known as 'YiaYia',to her relatives, officially hangs up her scissors after 48 years at the helm of Gina's Hair House on Railway Parade.

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The retirement of the 79-year-old stylist marks the end of an era that began when she migrated from Greece in the 1950s, eventually weaving herself into the very fabric of the neighbourhood. Her grandson, 13-year-old Christian Kollias, reached out to share the family's immense pride in a woman who turned a small business into a lifelong legacy.

For Ms Kollias, the salon was never just a workplace. "It's been like a home away from home," she said. "Every day was like a passion. I had beautiful people, lovely clients." Her journey in the industry actually predates her Kogarah tenure; she opened her first salon on Bay Street in Brighton-Le-Sands in 1969. "I was there for about five years. I got married in the meantime, got pregnant, had my son, stayed home, and then when he went to school I started up again," she said.

Reflecting on nearly half a century in the same space, Ms Kollias said how much the world, and the hair industry, has transformed since she first opened her doors. "Styles were very different back then, ladies got their hair done to go into David Jones or to the hospital," she said, adding that even the "procedures were different" in the early days. She also remembers a different version of the suburb itself. "Kogarah was a beautiful centre when the salon opened. Lots of families, a lovely atmosphere. Plenty of parking, no high rise."

While she had slowly eased into retirement by cutting back to three days a week over the last decade, the finality of closing the doors is bittersweet. "I am sad it's coming to an end," Ms Kollias said, though she remains quick to credit those who stood by her chair through the decades. "I had lovely staff, lovely girls working for me for years. From the minute I got here, I already knew a lot of my clients." As the lights dim at Gina's Hair House for the last time, the Kogarah community loses a dedicated fixture, but Ms Kollias leaves behind a career defined by style, stamina, and a deep love for her craft.