Book Launch with Alan Playford - Through The Rubble

Join us for an evening of powerful storytelling hosted by acclaimed journalist and author Caroline Baum, as we celebrate the launch of Through the Rubble, the extraordinary memoir of Australia’s most decorated civilian, Alan Playford. Co-authored by Bulli local Penny Keogh, the book offers a rare and deeply personal insight into a lifetime of service and survival.

Held at the Bulli Woonona RSL on Thursday July 24 from 6–7.30pm, this special event is presented in partnership with Collins Booksellers Thirroul. Enjoy a relaxed 45-minute conversation, and an unforgettable evening of courage, compassion and conversation.

About Alan Playford and Through The Rubble

Through the Rubble tells the gripping true story of Alan Playford — a paramedic, former firefighter and humanitarian whose career has spanned Australia’s most defining disasters and humanitarian missions.

From pulling Norm Duffy from the rubble of the Newcastle earthquake, to pioneering the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, to saving lives in the Canberra bushfires and leading an aid worker evacuation during the Rwandan genocide — Alan’s story is one of remarkable bravery, resilience, and heart.

With a foreword by former Governor-General David Hurley, this memoir is a tribute to those who serve, and a call for deeper support for first responders and aid workers returning from the frontline.