The nickname Deucem was coined in 1912 with the (successful) declaration that he would "deuce [out-shear] all the back-bent, bagbooted jumbuck barbers" at the Dunlop shearing shed at Darling.
Deucem is survived by around 200 relatives living in and around Canberra, plus those around Bourke and Brewarrina NSW[1] He spent much of his professional life working the shearing sheds around Top Naas, Lanyon, Tuggeranong and Uriarra.
Deucem's shearing feats include: Deucem's shearing prowess is touted in the essay Champion Shearers of Australia (D'Arcy Niland, February 1943): Rated as one of the greatest shearers in the world, who time out of number has eclipsed records and cleaned up the best of his natural competitors... Smith is regarded as more than a champion - a phenomenon.
His family donated the Hall of Fame silver shears trophy to the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
In June 2006, Deucem's skill as a shearer was recognised in the form of a plaque unveiled by the ACT Chief Minister, Jon Stanhope.