William Ricketts Sanctuary

William Ricketts Sanctuary is an outdoor sculpture sanctuary set in a ferny mountain forest on Mount Dandenong in the Dandenong Ranges, Victoria, about 40 kilometres east of Melbourne. Created by potter and sculptor William Ricketts between the 1930s and 1990s, it displays more than 90 kiln-fired clay sculptures integrated among ferns, rocks and mountain ash. The site is managed by Parks Victoria and is noted for its Aboriginal-inspired figures and tranquil bushland setting.

Visitors walk along narrow, winding forest paths through dense fern gully and mountain ash forest to view more than 90 ceramic sculptures embedded in rocks, tree trunks and walls. The sanctuary is compact and tranquil, with sculptures depicting Aboriginal people, animals and spiritual figures blended into the natural landscape. Expect shaded, damp forest conditions, stepped and uneven paths, small clearings, the artist's former cottage and kiln area, and interpretive signage. It is a quiet, contemplative site focused on art and nature rather than large facilities.