‘Ducks on the Pond’ the whisper would escape. A murmur from chapped lips, stubble surrounding as the smoko bell sounded and the clatter of hooves on wooden timber lessened. Eyes diverted as the wool was gathered from the boards and tossed with graceful ease over the classing table. Rough hands skirting the fleece to remove the greasy edges.

The call would move along the line, rouse-abouts alerting the shearers to the presence of the fairer sex in their midst, there to drop some freshly baked treats to the shearing team, to only make a hasty departure from this domain that was so foreign… watch your language boys. Don’t want to offend the Mrs.

In a world where men and women traditionally held vastly different roles, it took a brave few to bridge this gap. Women who were too much, too loud, too big. Those who didn’t stay in their lane, who asked questions and wedged themselves into the action. Who pushed boundaries and asked why not?

The ones who opened doors and forged a world, allowing the girls coming through to dream bigger. Where the possibilities are endless, and choices exist. There is more work to come but the doors have been opened by the brave few who stepped into a world of the unknown and stayed against the odds. This collection is an ode to the ducks who came before us, and who dared to dream. The women who fought for a fairer future and for the greater opportunities than existed in their own pond.

ByCC is stoked to be sponsoring the latest season of the Ducks on the Pond Podcast. Hosted by three rural women, the show is an illustration of what regional Australian women are capable of. The obstacles we navigate, the opportunities we can forge and the ceilings we have yet to smash. The hope is that our support of this deserving production will help lift other women in this space, in these communities and into the next chapter - because we all deserve to soar.