William Ricketts Sanctuary
William Ricketts Sanctuary is a very beautiful and unusual place located in the Olinda Rainforest near Mount Dandenong, on the outskirts of Melbourne. The park, named after an Australian potter and sculptor, covers four acres.
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The reserve is a stunning sculpture garden. The park now contains over ninety sculptures of people and animals created by William Ricketts mostly in clay and wood.
Video: William Ricketts Preserve
History of the preserve and the man
The famous sculptor was born in 1898 in
In 1930, William Ricketts settled in the Mount Dandenong area. Impressed by Aboriginal life, culture and unity with nature, he began creating sculptures of indigenous Australians on his estate in 1943.
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Until the last day of his life, William Ricketts created these works of art that are silent reminders of the diversity of life on earth and the importance of preserving it for future generations. His Aboriginal sculptures, set amongst ferns, represent the spirits of the land, expressing tranquility and strength – they seem to grow out of the surrounding branches.
The sanctuary helps to understand the essence of the spiritual component of the art. Hidden deep in the rainforest, the display of aboriginal statues seems to be an integral part of it. Moss-covered torsos of men, women and children grow straight out of tree trunks and huge boulders. Some stretch their open wings to the sky, others seem to be on the defensive. All of these are symbols of the relationship between the indigenous people of Australia and nature.
.William Ricketts passed away peacefully on the night of June 10, 1993. He never had any pupils and took his talent with him. The artist himself called this place “The Potter’s Sanctuary.”
