Mr McKenzie (65) started his trade as a hairdresser in Invercargill in 1960 and short hair was in vogue.
When the Beatles came along, about 1966-67, styles got longer, although the Beatles themselves never had long hair.
It was collar-length, he mused.
Now, as he prepares to retire on January 21, the fashion has gone back to short hair again.
He was brought up in Invercargill and his parents would not let him leave school unless he had a trade and so he embarked on a four-and-a-half-year apprenticeship.
He spent 10 years cutting hair in the city, then 20 years driving buses before returning to his trade.
He moved to Oamaru in 1992 to a Thames St business which has now functioned as a barbershop for 83 years.
It began with Steenie Browne and then continued with Allan Browne.
Little has changed in the shop and saloon since then, with the wood panelling on the walls and three stags heads which were mounted in 1926 still intact.
For many of his customers, it was the only place they had ever had their hair cut.
He also had about 30 regular female customers.
Appointments were not required - "men don't like appointments" - and people walked in off the street for a cut.
Men used to get about 16 haircuts a year, but they now only got six or seven.
In difficult economic times, hairdressers got hit hard, Mr McKenzie said.
While he admitted he was not a very good conversationalist, he said he had heard "all the stories" in the saloon.
In his retirement, Mr McKenzie was looking forward to spending more time on the golf course and doing some travel in the North Island.
The business was closing as there was no-one to take it over.
