William Ricketts Reserve
Australia has a unique, incredibly beautiful reserve, called « potter's sanctuary ». It is located near Melbourne. The area of the reserve is about 4 acres. This place is noteworthy with a garden of sculptures made of clay and wood, created by William Ricketts.
History of creation
Back in 1898, the sculptor lived among Aboriginal people. He was impressed with their life and decided to capture the lives of the indigenous people. The sculptures that the master created reflected unity with nature, the importance of preserving life on earth. The figures created by the author are in the depths of the forest. They look like women, men, children who have grown from trees and stones. Since 1943, William Ricketts began to decorate his own territory with incredible statues of Aboriginal people. According to the author, he, expressing calm and full natural power, captured it all in his sculptures, re-inhaling life into them. Indeed, if you look closely at the sculptures, you can notice that they are like a continuation of the earth, repeat all its smooth lines, allowing to ensure maximum harmony, with only one look. The master played the violin and made his masterpieces until the end of days. Many sculptures are stored in private collections. Some were bought by the state government of Victoria, turning the place into a public park.
Reserve William Ricketts Nowadays
To date, the reserve has more than 90 sculptures. The master devoted almost his whole life to work. William Ricketts Nature Reserve is very popular. Numerous sculptures that come to life literally from stone attract tourists with strength and energy. They seem to grow from surrounding trees. I want to touch realistic sculptures with my hands, they are covered with moss. A picturesque place where the masterpieces are located attracts tourists from all over the planet. The energy, the scenarios that the author captured, deliver a lot of positive emotions.
For more than 30 years, the sculptor worked on a masterpiece. He himself chose a place, placed and arranged a hut. « The potter's sanctuary » has become a bewitching place and a real museum. You can walk along the paths of the park for hours, enjoying the view of living sculptures.
This unusual place can be visited for free. There are special tours, getting there is not difficult. Everyone who has been there advises visiting William Ricketts Park. Walking does not take much time, but gives a lot of impressions.
