Growing her hair for eight years - yes, she could actually sit on it - probably explains it.

But this week Brooke took the bold step to chop it off, and donate the hair to the Variety Foundation's Hair With a Heart, and also raise some money for the cause through sponsorship.

As a child educator at Community Kids Thornton, she had seen first hand the impact that losing hair could have on young children though cancer treatment or alopecia, and wanted to help.

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So it was time for a snip.

"Just like that, 56 centimetres gone," she said. "Funnily enough for every job I've ever had I've always wore my hair in a bun anyway."

Sounds a bit like owning a Ferrari but keeping it in the shed, I suggested.

"Yes, I guess so. My mum Sylvia has always been my greatest supporter so I got her to take the first snip, then hand it over to Jessie the hairdresser."

Jessie Gleeson, who had a child at the Thornton centre, finished the cut off, presenting Brooke with the locks.

There was a moment, right at the start, when Brooke was teary ... any regrets?

"Not not at all," she said. "It was an easy decision.

"There were tears but it wasn't that I was losing my long hair, it was because of all the support I'd received.

"The kids at the centre, the parents, my work colleagues ... everybody. It was a little overwhelming, especially with all the kids sitting there in front of me.

"I had actually made up my mind that I was going to get my hair cut anyway, I just wanted to do it for a cause, so that I might be able to help young kids going through tough times.

"When I last visited a salon eight years ago I donated the hair then too, but this time I wanted to raise some money as well."

Brooke had an initial fundraising target of somewhere between $500 and $1000, but with the help of her mum, raffles, packs of baked goodies and donated prizes, was delighted when her final tally came it at $3000.

"Far more than I'd expected," she said.

And while she admits she may grow it "a little longer", she will never go back to her previous look.

"No, it's time to do the mum thing," she said with a laugh.

Speaking of the mum thing, the obvious question is how did the new look go down at home?

It was a big thumbs up.

"My youngest, Sebastien, who's seven, said that a score of 60 out of 100 would be a pass mark," she said.

"So when I got home he took one look and gave me a 99. 'Not 100, but pretty good' he said."