Just short of 51 years ago Bert started working with his father Gordon, at a time when Taree boasted nine barbers and three ‘ladies’ hairdressers’.

Now, unisex hair salons dominate the industry, and traditional barbers are few and far between.

The Love family’s renowned position in the Taree business world began in 1934 when Gordon Love set up a chair in a small shop in Manning Street (now part of the Coles building).

A short time later he relocated to larger premises lower down in Manning Street, (about where the Telstra shop is now), and where he continued to cut men’s and boys’ hair until enlisting for World War II service at the start of 1942.

While at this location Gordon had two other well known barbers work with him, Ken Cause and Dallas Tisdell. Ken later went on to become a prominent barber in the town in his own right.

On his return from the war, Gordon negotiated for what was then a laneway to a blacksmith business in Victoria Street to erect a shop to recommence barbering. In 1946 the small shop was built and Love’s Hairdressing was once again servicing the men of the Manning community.

In August 1957, son Bert joined the business working beside his father.

Business continued in the Victoria Street shop with only a couple of changes to the front section until Bert demolished the building, replacing it with the larger existing building in 1993.

During his time Gordon not only trained his son but also had two other apprentices learn the trade from him - Glen Buttsworth and John Elbourne.

Glen was another very popular barber in the town until his death, and John was also in business in Taree for a time before moving to Kempsey.

In 1978, Bert purchased Love’s Hairdressing from his father, however Gordon continued to work either full-time or part-time until he retired in 1993 at the age of 77.

In 1988, Donna, daughter of Bert and wife Margaret, became the third generation of Love to join the business, all three working alongside each other cutting men’s hair – a situation that would be rare anywhere in Australia.