A rural fire brigade captain was driving through a forest in northern New South Wales when a flash of colour caught his eye.
He was compelled to investigate and was thrilled to discover that it was a vintage Bedford fire truck.
The 1960 s vehicle had been belonging to the remote Bellbrook Rural Fire Brigade, located west of Kempsey on the Mid North Coast, and was used by what is believed to be Australia's first all-Indigenous Rural Fire Service crew.
Adam Hall, captain of Bellbrook Brigade, said it was an exciting find.
Captain of the Newee Creek Brigade in the Nambucca Shire was driving through the Tamban State Forest, Mr Hall said.
The Bellbrook Brigade launched a public fundraiser to buy the vehicle from the collector who had bought it - the truck has now been moved back to Bellbrook with plans for its restoration.
Mr Hall said the truck was supplied to Bellbrook in the 1970s and became the primary truck used by an all-Indigenous branch based in the early 1990s at the local Thungutti Aboriginal community.
We believe it was the first all-Indigenous fire crew in the country so rebuilding it is very important for the community, for our Thungutti people here as well, and helping to bring some pride into our little village. Ray Quinlan, a member of the Bellbrook Rural Fire Brigade, held special memories in the truck. Eric was part of the original Indigenous crew.
My old man used to be out in the fire brigade, but I used to always say I want to come. ''
It makes me proud of him and I want to make him proud of me, because of all the old photos of him back in the day in his fire brigade suit. Elwyn Toby, a Bellbrook Brigade member, remembered seeing the truck in action at the Thungutti community.
He said it was great to see our Indigenous leaders step up and have a go.
In the 1980s, Bellbrook Rural Fire Brigade deputy captain Gerard Chunk' Wade was recalled serving on the truck.
I remember standing in the back and there wasn't a lot of creature comforts of safety. He said you had a bar to hang on to and off you went into the fire.
Thanks to social media, there have been offers from around the country to help with the truck's restoration.
It will take two to three years to get it to its former glory, at which point we hope to be able to go to schools and shows and rusty iron rallies and just show it off and put Bellbrook on the map, Captain Hall said.
Bellbrook's current truck has ties to the region's Indigenous heritage, with an artwork created by Mr Toby, who works as a local cultural arts teacher.
In the blue you have the fire truck, then in the yellow water around the truck the symbols are people.