The duck caller didn’t start off as anything official.
It started, like most things in our family, with my dear old mum.
She had a bit of a strange sense of humour.
Which is probably where all the Smiths get it from… whether they like it or not.
It usually began with a bottle of sparkling wine.
All the grandkids would be sitting around, watching.
You’d hear that familiar pop as the cork came out.
And then, instead of putting things aside, Mum would pick up the little wire cage from the top.
She’d say,
Now to us, it just looked like a bit of twisted wire.
Didn’t look like much at all.
But we’d sit there anyway.
This was usually at family gatherings.
When everyone was together, a few drinks in, and the room full of chatter.
This was usually at family gatherings.
When everyone was together, a few drinks in, and the room full of chatter.
Mum loved that side of things. Being around people. Having a bit of fun.
And this… this was part of it.
She’d straighten a bit here.
Twist something there.
Turn it around.
Hold it up to the light like she was checking something important.
All very deliberate.
All very serious.
And the whole time, we’d be watching.
Trying to work out what on earth she was doing.
A few minutes would go by.
Bit more twisting.
Bit more adjusting.
And then she’d hold it up and say,
Which didn’t really clear things up at all.
We’d all be standing there thinking…
How’s that a duck caller?
Do you blow into it?
Do you hold it up to your ear?
What do you actually do with it?
And without missing a beat, she’d lift it up and say,
“Calling all ducks… calling all ducks…”
And that was it.
Somehow, out of a bit of wire and a bit of imagination, she’d turned it into something real.
Or real enough for us.
And that’s the thing.
It wasn’t really about the duck caller.
It was about the moment.
The watching.
The wondering.
The not quite knowing what was coming next.
And every one of us carried that on.
All of us kids.
We’ve all made duck callers at some point.
And we’ve all used them to entertain the next lot of kids coming through.
Funny thing is, these days we don’t open as many bottles of sparkling wine.
So the opportunities don’t come around as often.
You’ve got to make a point of it now.
But every now and then, when one does turn up…
The duck caller isn’t far behind.
And neither is,
“Calling all ducks… calling all ducks…”
And that’s the story.
It didn’t start as anything important.
It didn’t look like much at the time.
Just a bit of wire, a bit of imagination, and a moment shared around a table.
And that’s the story behind the duck caller.
A lifelong storyteller, shaped by sheds, stories, and making things by hand.
This is where the ideas, the tinkering, and the occasional terrible joke all end up.
Uncle Grandad acknowledges the Bundjalung People as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which these stories are written and shared. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and honour the rich culture, storytelling traditions, and deep connection to Country that continue to inspire.