Wizard Oil & Wonders: The Peculiar Legacy of Frank Weston
Saturday 10 May 2025 at 1:00PM
Melton Library & Learning Hub
Event Description
Be bedazzled by this electrifying blend of history, music and illusion.
Frank Weston, the self-proclaimed Doctor and Wizard Oil Prince, was a charismatic American showman who captivated audiences across Australia and New Zealand from the 1860s to the 1880s. Known for his bold Yankee wit, Weston toured with his two-hour extravaganza of jokes, songs, and comic tales, weaving in relentless plugs for his 'miracle' cures, including Wizard Oil, Magic Pills, and Mexican Mustang Liniment.
Join historian Dr David Waldron and magician Dr Jo Clyne as they bring Weston’s curious world back to life in an electrifying fusion of history and illusion. With local band, Drongo and The Crow, performing the original music from Weston’s travelling medicine show, this one-of-a-kind event will reveal the charms and deceptions behind the 19th-century craze for magical cures and quackery.
When
1:00PM - 3:00PM
Saturday 10 May 2025
Add to Calendar
Contact
Where
Melton Library & Learning Hub
31 McKenzie Street
Melton VIC
Google Maps
Event Partner
The Melton City Libraries Heritage Festival is on from 3 to 17 May. Visit melton.vic.gov.au/library to learn more.
Bookings
Please log in with your library credentials to reserve your place at this event. You may also book by phone, email or at your nearest library.
| EVENT NAME | Date | LOCATION | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historical Games | 03-05-2025 at 11:00AM | Caroline Springs Library And Learning Hub | ||
| Their Life in a Suitcase | 03-05-2025 at 1:30PM | Caroline Springs Library And Learning Hub | ||
| Curious About Culture: Pakistan Community Profile | 06-05-2025 at 10:30AM | Melton Library & Learning Hub | ||
| Sketching at the Willows Historical Park | 07-05-2025 at 2:00PM | Willows Historic Park | ||
| Diggers Rest – A history from 1835 | 08-05-2025 at 6:00PM | Former Diggers Rest School | ||
| Growing up Indian in Australia | 08-05-2025 at 6:30PM | Melton Library & Learning Hub | ||
| Diggers Rest – A history from 1835 | 08-05-2025 at 7:00PM | Former Diggers Rest School | ||
| Woodblock Carving Workshop | 09-05-2025 at 10:00AM | Melton Library & Learning Hub | ||
| Woodblock Carving Workshop | 09-05-2025 at 2:00PM | Caroline Springs Library And Learning Hub | ||
| Historical Games | 09-05-2025 at 4:00PM | Melton Library & Learning Hub | ||
| Diggers Rest – A history from 1835 | 10-05-2025 at 1:00PM | Former Diggers Rest School | ||
| Diggers Rest – A history from 1835 | 10-05-2025 at 2:00PM | Former Diggers Rest School | ||
| Diggers Rest – A history from 1835 | 10-05-2025 at 3:00PM | Former Diggers Rest School | ||
| Exhibition tour: 'Healthy Country, Healthy People' | 11-05-2025 at 1:30PM | Caroline Springs Library And Learning Hub | ||
| Retro Movie Time: King Kong (1933) | 12-05-2025 at 2:00PM | Melton Library & Learning Hub |