Topical Healing with Herbs: Keeping Nanna Cohen's Legacy Alive

My journey with herbs began long before Merry Little Elderberry existed.

It began with my great-grandmother, Louise Cohen.

To me, she was simply Nanna.

Nanna always had a smile on her face, a cuppa tea in hand, and a story to tell. Whether we were sitting together in person or chatting on one of our weekly phone calls, she was constantly sharing little pieces of wisdom from a lifetime well lived. Stories from England. Stories from the early days of Australia. And stories about how families cared for themselves long before convenience became king.

Born at the beginning of the Great Depression, Nanna lived through extraordinary times. She survived World War II, saw incredible changes in the world around her, and eventually made her way to Australia when much of the country was still finding its feet.

Life wasn't always easy.

Money was often tight. Doctors weren't always accessible. Families learned to be resourceful. They grew food, preserved what they could, fixed what was broken, and relied on practical knowledge passed down through generations.

My great-grandfather was among the hardworking migrants who helped build modern Australia. Together they created a life through resilience, determination, and a willingness to make do with what they had.

For Nanna, natural remedies weren't "alternative" or "trending".

They were simply life.

She knew how to use herbs, kitchen ingredients, and plants growing nearby. She knew traditional ways to soothe skin, comfort bumps and bruises, and care for her family using knowledge that had been handed down long before her time.

As a child—and well into adulthood until she passed away when I was 36—I soaked up every bit of knowledge I could.

Even then, I knew what she carried was precious.

I knew that much of this wisdom was disappearing.

So I listened.

I asked questions.

I took notes.

I treasured every story, every remedy, every piece of advice shared over countless cups of tea and weekly conversations.

Looking back now, I realise what an incredible gift she gave me. #ThanksNanna!

Those lessons became the foundation for everything that followed.

Today, here on our little homestead in Tingha, surrounded by elderberries and medicinal herbs, I continue that journey. Through studying herbalism, growing herbs, creating products, teaching workshops, and learning from both traditional wisdom and modern education, I have built upon the foundations Nanna laid all those years ago.

Yet every salve I make, every herb I harvest, and every workshop I teach still carries a little piece of her.

There are moments when I'm infusing oils or pouring a fresh batch of herbal salve that I can almost hear her voice telling me why a particular herb was valued or how something was made "back in the old days."

I miss her deeply.

But in many ways, I see her legacy living on.

I see it in every person who chooses to learn these skills.

I see it in every mum wanting to create natural products for her family.

I see it in every grandmother sharing wisdom with the next generation.

And I see it in every workshop participant who leaves inspired to reconnect with the simple traditions we've slowly traded for convenience.

That's exactly why I created the Topical Healing with Herbs Workshop.

This workshop isn't just about making herbal-infused oils, salves, balms, and traditional preparations.

It's about preserving knowledge.

It's about reconnecting with nature.

It's about remembering the skills our grandparents once considered everyday life.

And it's about ensuring these traditions don't disappear with the generations that carried them.

Every time someone learns to work with herbs, grows a medicinal plant, or creates a remedy with their own hands, a small piece of that wisdom continues.

A small piece of Nanna Louise Cohen's continues.

And for that, I am incredibly grateful.

Celeste Kellie

Founder, Merry Little Elderberry

Purely Organic. Perfectly Natural.

Join me as I keep Nanna's legacy alive, sharing the traditional skills of topical healing with herbs that have been passed down through generations. Together, let's preserve this precious knowledge and ensure it continues to be passed on for years to come.

Book now Topical Healing with Herbs Workshop.