'Old Red' Childrens Book

Old Red

Written Bernadette Murphy and Illustrations by Eliza Reis

Old Red is a real fire truck. She was built in 1963, she belongs to our neighbours, and in January 2026 she helped save our farm.

When the summer bushfires came through Ruffy, we used that old truck to defend our property and seven others. She's more than sixty years old and she did the job.

After the fires, Bernadette got in touch. She'd heard the story and wanted to turn it into a book for little ones. The result is Old Red, a gentle story about why old things matter and how they can still do something important today.

It's a lovely one to read aloud, and a nice way to talk with kids about looking after each other when things get hard.

All profits will be donated to the Ruffy CFA