Celebrated salon leader June Irving from Bentleys Hair of Canberra has been revealed as the Champion in the Australian Small Business Champion Woman Icon category for the 2025 Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards.
Serving as the nation’s biggest celebration of women in small business, the National Presentation Evening was held at The Fullerton Hotel, Sydney, on Saturday 15 November. June received a Champions trophy, a winners’ certificate, and well-deserved acclaim from her peers as a nationally recognised industry leader.
For June, the honour arrives after more than five decades in the hair and beauty industry. Reflecting on the recognition, she said, “I am truly humbled and deeply honoured to receive the Australian Small Business Champion – Woman Icon 2025 Award. This recognition means more than I can express, especially as I reflect on my 50 years in this beautiful industry.”
June began her career opening her first salons, Mop Shop and Hair Vogue, never imagining how profoundly the path ahead would influence her life. “When I opened my very first salons, I never imagined that the journey ahead would shape my entire life in the way it has,” she said. “Those early days were filled with hope, hard work, and a love for helping people feel their best. That love has carried me through every chapter since.”
June emphasised that the award reflects the collective strength of her community. “This award is not about me alone,” she said. “It reflects the dedication of every person who has stood beside me over the last five decades.”
“To my loyal clients, many of whom have been with me for generations… thank you. To my teams past and present, who have worked so hard and believed in the vision… thank you. To my husband Robert, and to my wonderful family who have supported me in every season… thank you.”
Renowned as the ‘Oscars of Australian small business’, the red-carpet event was hosted by Nine News and TODAY show journalist, Jayne Azzopardi, and attended by women in small business, dignitaries and supporters from across the country.
The Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards were specifically created to recognise hard-working women from across the country who contribute to the economic, cultural and social contributions of female-led small businesses. This year’s awards attracted record entries with thousands of submissions received, spanning well over 65 categories in retail, services and manufacturing industries.
June scored the topmost result in the Australian Small Business Champion Woman Icon category, comprehensively adjudicated by an independent expert panel that considered various aspects of small business operations – including each entrant’s strategies, growth plans, financial performance, eco-friendliness, innovation, customer service quality and community support – to name but some of the judging criteria.
“Being selected as a Champion of this major program from a national entrant pool of thousands speaks volumes of the tenacity and leadership of June Irving,” said Steve Loe, Awards Founder and Managing Director of Precedent Productions, who manages the Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards.
“The Awards honour the nation’s most exceptional female leaders today who are making an indelible mark on the small business sector.
“The successes of our 2025 Australian Women’s Small Business Champions are not just personal milestones, but also powerful statements of what women can achieve and the excellence that defines Australian small businesswomen today,” added Mr Loe.
Bentleys Hair of Canberra is located inside Jamison Plaza, Macquarie. Contact the salon on 6251 2681.
