Background: Burns are among the earliest recorded traumas in medical history, with their care reflecting some of humanity’s first forays into empirical healing and reconstructive techniques. Across cultures, responses to thermal injury were shaped by observation, environment, and enduring knowledge traditions, many of which anticipated principles central to modern burn care. Aims: This study traces the evolution of burn treatment across civilisations, with particular focus on Indigenous Australian and ancient global practices. Discussion: Among the longest continuous healing traditions, Aboriginal Australian approaches combined plant-based medicines such as crushed tea tree leaves with smoke therapy and spiritual care. These methods reflect a sophisticated understanding of antimicrobial properties, pain relief, and the social dimensions of recovery, principles echoed in today’s holistic models of care. Similar threads appear across ancient texts. Egyptian and Greek healers applied honey, wine, and resins to burns, harnessing their protective and antiseptic qualities. In 9th-century Persia, Al-Razi described water immersion for burns, one of the earliest documented instances of first aid. In Renaissance Europe, Paré and Fabry attempted excision and escharotomy, intuitive yet limited by the pre-antiseptic era. The history of burn care is not linear, but a mosaic of shared insight, rediscovery, and forgotten innovation. Recognising the role of Indigenous Australians, on whose land this conference is held, alongside other global traditions, enriches our understanding of surgical heritage and affirms the lasting value of diverse knowledge systems in shaping contemporary burn care.