William Ricketts Sanctuary is located on Mt Dandenong Tourist Road, Mount Dandenong right in the heart of the Dandenongs. The drive here is one of sheer beauty, winding through the giant mountain ashes standing proudly above you and ferns which surround you. The sanctuary is open every day of the year except for Christmas between 10.00am and 4.00pm and entry is free of charge, however there are donation boxes which of course go towards the maintenance of the sanctuary.
The above monument reads "In all this sanctuary there is one theme only expressing reverence for life in the new world environment". Take from it what you will but I feel it is a reflection of William Ricketts that we should live by and honour the past traditions and beliefs of the aboriginals and respect the spirituality of mother earth and everything within nature. His sculptures depict the unity of all life bringing together man and animal.
William Rickett moved to Mount Dandenong in 1934. This is when he began to create his sculpture park now known as William Ricketts Sanctuary which he filled with his Aboriginal inspired sculptures made mostly from clay and some are carved from trees until his passing in 1993.
All of the sculptures within the sanctuary are of aboriginal men, women and children and also animals except for this one above which is very clearly a white man and as if the sculpture itself doesn't portray a a strong enough message, the words below certainly get William Ricketts point across. It certainly highlights William Ricketts feelings on the takeover and devastation that the colonising of white men caused to Aboriginal communities.
"I am the one who collects tax blood money from the sale and and use of the so called sporting gun.
I am the same one who starts all bush-fires going I live by this indescribable cruelty and I will have more and more of it every year.
As a nation the brute in Australia two hundred years ago I landed here and wrote the law of this land on the end of a gun barrel and arsenic of poison ever since I have been shooting and looting raping burning and poisoning trapping birds and animals millions of koalas possums lyrebirds everything the Aboriginal people regarded as sacred.
I am the parasite and destroyer paid much much money to kill off Australia wildlife and grab their environment I lead science and technology and paid to regard nothing as sacred I hate the revolt against the highest life and in try fury will trample tear or crucify any divine power that has the presumption to offer to make life pure and luminous".
Moving words which certainly require time to reflect on and may even make us look within ourselves and ask how we can make a difference in our own lives.
William Rickett spent much of his time living within Aboriginal communities, and this is where he got his inspiration for his magnificent sculptures which are hidden throughout the natural landscape.
I have been here quite a few times and actually love visiting on a hot summers day, as its lovely and cool under the forest which towers above. Visiting on a cold misty winters day adds to the spiritual ambiance of the sanctuary.
This is a spiritual place that you actually get a feeling of emotion visiting here that I think young and old will appreciate and take something from.
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