If you have a young daughter, chances are you've heard of BraidLab.
You know, the talented hair stylists who quickly and efficiently create works of art including Dutchies, the Halo, the Loveheart, the Mohawk, the Princess, or even the Lux Pony.
But the BraidLab of today appeals to a broader demographic than it did when it first opened in 2015. Professional footballers are now lining up to get their hair done before a big game.
Eloise Tamblyn started working at BraidLab shortly after it opened at Charlestown Square 10 years ago. Four years ago she took over the business.
"I had already poured so much love into BraidLab over the years, so taking over felt both natural and terrifying at the same time," she said.
Tamblyn had never owned a business before.
She'd studied teaching at university.
Today she oversees a team of 15 employees ranging in age from 14 to 30 at two locations, Charlestown Square and Westfield Kotara. BraidLab also caters for parties and private bookings.
"I've been braiding for as long as I can remember. I was braiding friends' hair at school as early as year 4, and even more throughout high school," Tamblyn said.
"My mum was talented in many areas, but hairstyling definitely wasn't one of them, so if I wanted something done with my hair, I had to learn to do it myself."
Some of the braids are quite intricate. Tamblyn says it all comes down to practice. And lots of it.
"The girls are always sharing ideas, practising new techniques and encouraging one another. It's a very collaborative and creative team environment, and that's where so much of the inspiration comes from," Tamblyn said.
"They balance speed and precision so well, especially during our busiest periods."
The business has, she said, "seen tremendous growth" since she was an employee.
"We've expanded our trading days, introduced new locations, and built incredible partnerships and relationships, all centred around our love of braiding," Tamblyn said.
"We currently operate two weekly pop-up locations at Charlestown Square and Westfield Kotara, and during school holidays both locations open daily.
"Due to growing demand, we now use an online booking system to help manage the flow of customers, while still keeping some appointments available for walk-ins and spontaneous visits from shoppers.
"Private bookings and parties have also become a huge part of the business. We offer party packages where we visit homes and pamper little ones with braids, glitter, face gems, nails and all the fun extras."
In the early days, BraidLab mainly catered to young girls and occasionally women attending events. Now their clientele has diversified.
"We see children as young as two getting their dream braids, athletes needing their hair slicked and secured for competition, men looking to manage long hair, sporting teams wanting matching styles, tourists visiting the area, sports stars, local personalities and everyone in between," Tamblyn said.
"Alongside our pop-ups and parties, we also work with the NRLW Newcastle Knights and other sporting teams when they play at McDonald Jones Stadium. Last year we braided for more than half the teams attending Magic Round in Newcastle, and this year we're hoping to travel to Wagga Wagga to work with even more athletes."
BraidLab also braided the NSW and Queensland women's Origin teams' hair this year for the first time.
"We've formed some really special connections with many of the players," Tamblyn said.
"One of the most rewarding parts is seeing young girls bring photos of their favourite players into our pop-ups as inspiration for their own braids. Watching that connection between sport, confidence and self-expression is really special.
"Long term, I would love to see BraidLab involved in international sport, particularly with Australian representative teams. My ultimate dream is for BraidLab to be part of the 2032 Olympics and braid for world-class athletes at the peak of their sport."
Clients leave BraidLab with more than just a hairstyle. They leave feeling happy.
"It might seem like 'just braiding', but every customer comes to us with a story - a birthday, wedding, baby shower, girls' night, sporting event, graduation, school camp, photoshoot or another important milestone. Sometimes people simply want to feel good about themselves," Tamblyn said.
"We get to play a small role in both the big and little moments in people's lives, and that's easily the best part of the job."
Newcastle Airport has been recognised for national excellence in sustainable construction by the Green Building Council Australia.
The council awarded the expanded Williamtown terminal five stars out of a total six-star rating.
Airport CEO Linc Horton said the airport's expansion, worth more than $100 million, "gave us permission to fundamentally rethink how we design assets, source energy, finance projects and plan for long-term operations".
"We see sustainability as integral to running a better airport for our region, with our sustainability strategy extending well beyond the terminal itself," he said.
"We've achieved net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions six years ahead of target, transitioned to 100 per cent renewable electricity, and our solar installations now generate between 20 and 30 per cent of the airport's electricity demand."
The airport had to meet 10 minimum build standards, including water efficiency, managed environmental impacts during construction, and environmental protection, set by the Green Building Council, which was established in 2002 to advise developers on meeting sustainability targets.
Airport chair Samantha Martin-Williams said the achievement - the first for an Australian airport under the council's revised rating system - added to a string of design and sustainability awards for the terminal and positioned the region as a leader in the sector.
"At a time when Australia is focused on delivering a Future Made in Australia, Newcastle Airport is helping position the Hunter at the forefront of that future, supporting industry growth, enabling new opportunities and demonstrating what sustainable regional infrastructure can achieve," she said.
The certification was confirmed on Friday, coinciding with World Environment Day.
Green Building Council chief executive Davina Rooney said the airport had "demonstrated how major infrastructure can reduce its environmental impact while creating lasting value for passengers, the community and the region".
