The age-old knowledge enshrined in folk medicine across the world has been a remarkable resource which continues to have immense value. This is equally true in Australia, where a fusion developed based on old European wisdom, innovative discoveries regarding the native flora, and local Aboriginal knowledge. Ancient herbal remedies may not have had the advantages of modern chemical analysis, but the practitioners of herbal arts were very familiar with the practical deployment of plant-derived drugs. Traditions such as these have underpinned the development of numerous modern drugs – and continue to be a resource that inspires medical discovery to this day.