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Australia

William Ricketts Sanctuary

I felt that the William Ricketts Sanctuary deserved its own post.  Situated in Mt. Dandenong area of Victoria, in the greater vicinity of Melbourne, the sanctuary contains approximately 90 sculptures, mainly from the trees and rocks, by artist William Ricketts.  The sculptures feature aboriginals and aboriginal philosophy.  The artist spent time living among aboriginals and encouraged Australians to become more in tune with Mother Nature. Some of his pieces also acknowledge the desecration and stealing of the land by the white settlers.

It’s a really moving place, yet also somewhere tranquil and serene to spend some time.  It’s free entry and you can spend as long as you like. There’s a small hut within the sanctuary that plays a 20 min film which tells you more about the artist, William Ricketts.  You can also see some works in progress that he never finished.

Here are a few of my sketches of the sculptures:Sculpture WIlliam Ricketts Sanctuary - travel sketchSculpture WIlliam Ricketts Sanctuary - travel sketchSculpture WIlliam Ricketts Sanctuary - travel sketch
Sculpture WIlliam Ricketts Sanctuary - travel sketch