Cunning Men and Women: Folk Magic and home remedies of colonial Victoria
Saturday 2 May 2026 at 12:00PM
Melton Library & Learning Hub
Event Description
Step back in time to a world where charms, talismans, and 'cunning men' sit uneasily beside the rise of modern medicine.
In this richly illustrated presentation, historian Dr David Waldron uncovers the hidden world of colonial Australia’s folk healers and fortune tellers - the figures who moved along the blurry line between magic, faith, and science. Drawing on remarkable handwritten texts and precious artefacts, Dr Waldron explores the potions, charms, spells, and home-made remedies used to treat everything from burns and rheumatism to kidney stones and 'bad airs.'
Through the lives of convict women and the traces they left behind, concealed objects, 'witch marks', and scars, this talk reveals how ordinary people used magic and folk medicine to survive grief, poverty, and uncertainty in a harsh new land.
When
12:00PM - 1:00PM
Saturday 2 May 2026
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Contact
Where
Melton Library & Learning Hub
31 McKenzie Street
Melton VIC
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Event Partner
The Heritage Festival is on from Friday 24 April to Saturday 9 May 2026. Find more events at melton.vic.gov.au/heritagefestival
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.
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