The William Ricketts Sanctuary...An Awakening Experience for Your Mind, Body and Spirit

You can feel it as soon as you enter the William Ricketts Sanctuary....it folds over and around you like a soft protective feather doona. Your spirit instinctively knows that this is a Spiritual Place. A place where old souls meet young souls and hand in hand wander through the most beautiful fern forest.

Feel free to use the search box below during your visit for any sort of enquiry or information you need to know. Your results will be shown on another page within the site so you don't loose your way and I don't loose you, phew, as I have so much to share with you...

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92 ceramic sculptures of people and animals are scattered throughout the lush rainforest grounds covering 4 acres...all hand crafted by the amazing and extremely talented artist William Ricketts.

The Artist

William Ricketts was born in 1898 in Richmond, a suburb of Melbourne. He lived a full and very colorful life until he passed away peacefully at the sanctuary in 1998.

His sculptures have been inspired by the years that he spent living and learning about the Indigenous Cultures of the Desert People of the Pitjantjara and Arrernte

It is very obvious when you walk around just how connected William Ricketts was with these people.

The faces are most amazing and lifelike and his talent was natural and self-taught

Many of his other works can be found at Pitchi Ritchi near Alice Springs.

There is also a sculpture in the Seawinds gardens at Arthurs Seat on the Mornington Peninsular

I have included the William Ricketts Sanctuary in my suggestions for Family Getaways as I have found that children seem to have a natural empathy with the place....

There is a natural spring located above the sanctuary and the water from this flows over some of the beautiful sculptures. According to William Ricketts, the water symbolizes "The never Ending Flowing Essence of the Spirit"

The trees provide a natural medium for some of the works of art and due to bushfire damage some have been burnt. In most of the sculptures you will find animals hidden.

Other Facilities

At the William Ricketts Sanctuary you will also find...

Looking after The William Ricketts Sanctuary

# No eating, drinking or picnicking or smoking is allowed on the grounds

# Please do not climb on the rocks or over the Sculptures

# No animals of the friendly fury dog kind are allowed

The Sanctuary opens at 10:00 am and closes at 4:30 pm. It is not open on Christmas Day.

Group bookings can be arranged by phoning the William Ricketts Sanctuary on 13 1963.

Admission

Children under 15 years are admitted free of charge. Group bookings of ten of more are $6.00 each for adults and $4.70 for concession Child $2.70 (age 15-17).

How to Get There

Follow Mount Dandenong Tourist Road to Mount Dandenong (Melway ref: 66 G1).

You can also access the Sanctuary from Burwood Hwy through Upper Ferntree Gully.

For a more informative route plan if you are driving then just go to Google MyMaps reference and follow the prompts

A Bus runs from Croydon Station.

For more information on the enchanting and mysterious William Ricketts Sanctuary please feel free to visit these websites.

Parks Victoria official website

For a Detailed map of the Sanctuary

There are lots of places in and around The Dandenongs to complete your Family Getaway, perhaps a devonshire tea in one of the quaint little teahouses in Olinda

Browse through Family Getaways Melbourne Daytrips for more suggestions on where to go and what to do.

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