A Secret Place
- Sharon Piccolo
- Oct 29, 2017
- 1 min read
Further afield in the Dandenong Ranges there is a beautiful sanctuary that takes you to a liminal space beyond the classroom. It is a place filed with sculptures of indigenous people and Australian fauna, lots of hidden delights and peaceful paths through forest greenery.
A quiet gentleman who had spent much time living with aboriginal communities in central Australia, William Ricketts created the sanctuary as a place for quiet reflection and replenishing the spirit. He believed that all Australians should adopt Aboriginal philosophies, respecting the spirituality of the mother earth and all things in the natural world.
Some of his works throughout the grounds also depict his feelings on the takeover and devastation of white man into the natural environment.
Within the sanctuary grounds, there are over 90 different sculptures depicting the aboriginal people engaging with the earth in a pure forest setting.
Carved into rocks and tree trunks that dot the paths that flow throughout the property, the themes in his artwork reflect his philosophies of connections with human, nature and the earth.
In time, the Victorian Government heard about his work and in the early 1960s the land and adjoining blocks were bought for the people. William Ricketts lived on at the Sanctuary into his nineties and continued to create his sculptures until his death in 1993.
A truly special place!
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