Young Alice Homewood stands in front of the old International with the book on Toots. Image: Alf Wilson When eight-year-old Alice Homewood from remote Wondinong Station in WA had to pick a theme for Book Week last month, she chose to do a tribute to legendary truck driver Toots Holzheimer. [caption id="attachment_107392" align="alignleft" width="203"] Toots spent over 30 years driving across Cape York Peninsula. Image: Toots: Woman in a Man's World[/caption] Toots died on February 29, 1992 in a tragic accident at Evans Landing, Weipa, at the age of 57 after more than 30 years driving across Cape York Peninsula. Young Alice is a School of the Air Kalgoorlie student and Book Week is a highlight of the year for parents and children. Her remote home at Wondinong Station has 700 head of cattle and is located 80km north-east of Mount Magnet and 700km from the capital Perth. Alice’s mother Lara Jensen told Big Rigs the family loves Australian history and honouring legendary people including pioneers. “We are all Slim Dusty fans and when Alice said she wanted to do a tribute to Toots we were delighted. We had purchased a book about her. Alice got a wig to put on her head and stood in front of an old International we have on the station holding the book,” Lara said. The International Acco 1810A model is used as a station hack mainly for carting troughs, tanks and the like. Alice has three brothers Shae (25), Jack (23) and Gordon (nine), and sisters Matilda (six) and her youngest sibling Polly Homewood – a two-year-old toddler. Alice loves horse riding, building bush cubbies and has a particular interest in bush Australian heroes and heroines. “All six children are avid Slim Dusty fans and first learnt the story of Toots ‘The Lady is a Truckie’ from the Slim Dusty song. I then bought the outstanding book ‘Toots: Woman in a Man's World’ by Donna Vawdrey as part of the Australian book collection we have. I believe it’s so important for all our children to know and appreciate the lives of the outstanding Australians who built this country. Toots was a woman of true grit and Alice has always been fascinated by her life and her story as an iconic pioneer in the Australian trucking industry which is why she chose her for her book week character,” Lara said. The Livestock & Rural Transport Association of Western Australia (LRTAWA) was glowing in its praise of Alice’s efforts. “This effort is hard to beat. Alice from Wondinong Station certainly got into the spirit with this tribute to legendary truck driver 'Toots' Holzheimer. Outstanding work Alice,” they said in a social media post. [signup] The post Young girl’s tribute to trucking legend Toots appeared first on Big Rigs.