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William Ricketts Sanctuary

Located at Mount Dandenong, the Sanctuary was the vision of sculptor William Ricketts, who lived on the mountain from 1934 until his death in 1993. Ricketts believed he shared a spiritual connection with Aboriginal people, and the sculptures of Pitjantjatjara and Arrernte people set into the forest surrounds are designed to interpret Aboriginality for the white community. They are also intended to convey the essential unity of humans and the natural environment. After a spate of vandalism, title to the Sanctuary was transferred to the State of Victoria in 1961; it remains under the management of Parks Victoria.

Kathy Lothian

References
Brady, Peter, Whitefella dreaming: The authorised biography of William Ricketts, Shire of Lillydale and Victorian Conservation Trust, Melbourne, 1994. Details