William Ricketts Sanctuary

　　William•Ricketts was a renowned Australian potter and sculptor, born in 1898 in the Richmond district of Victoria. In 1934, he settled in the Dandenong Ranges and passed away that same year at the age of 94. Ricketts once passionately described his philosophy on life: “Life is love. You and I are part of nature—we are all brothers to the birds and the trees.”

　　Many of the ceramic works and sculptures created by Ricketts during his lifetime are located within the William Ricketts Sanctuary. In the 1960s, the Victorian government purchased the pottery sanctuary where he lived and transformed it into a park, where he resided until his death. The sanctuary beautifully blends the natural and spiritual realms, with statues of Indigenous people set against the backdrop of the natural environment of the Dandenong Ranges, highlighting the serenity and beauty of the site. All the sculptures in the sanctuary are made from kiln-fired clay, fired at temperatures as high as 1200 degrees Celsius, and then arranged within the forest. This sanctuary stands as a testament to a philosophy of life—Ricketts believed that the natural environment has been entrusted to all of us to nurture the land, and that in doing so, we are nurturing life itself.

　　Sanctuary opening hours: Every day from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM (closed on Christmas Day, during extreme weather conditions, or major renovations). Admission is required. Visitors may take photos for personal use only; commercial photography is strictly prohibited out of respect for William Ricketts’s philosophical vision for the sanctuary.

　　William Ricketts Sanctuary Must-visit reason: The most beautiful sculpture garden in Victoria Continent: Oceania Country/Region: Australia State/Province: Victoria