William Ricketts (1898 - 1993)

William Ricketts was born in Richmond, Victoria, in 1898. He was very talented ,and from 1912 to 1920 he started playing the violin, making Jewellery and started using clay to model his sculptures. William settled in Mount Dandenong, Victoria, in 1934,he bought the land creating the sculpture park he named Potter's sanctuary now called ^[1]William Ricketts Sanctuary.After William moved to Potter's sanctuary ,he worked on his many sculptures in his sanctuary until 1993,many of his sculptures are made from the clay from the area,many of these clay sculptures have been attached to large rocks that were located on the site. The William Rickett's sanctuary now has thousands of visitors from all parts of the world each year.

William Ricketts made many trips into Central Australia from 1949 to 1960. He lived with the Pitjantjatjara and Arrernte Aboriginal people. It was while living with the different aboriginal tribes that he had the inspiration for many of his sculptures. William was not an Aboriginal, but thought of himself as a part of the Pitjantjatjara tribe.Many of his central Australian works are at ^[2]Pitchi Ritchi near Alice Springs.William's friend Leo Corbet ran a bird sanctuary at Pitchi Richi .From ABC.net.au His sculptures were made from clay the same colour as the ochre landscape. Nymph-like faces sit alongside solemn men with piercing stares. One, a half woman, half kangaroo stands regally, with head poised under the trees

William Ricketts was never trained as a potter a number of his pieces now have cracks. His main works include Gun Brute at the William Ricketts Sanctuary, Mount Dandenong, Victoria, and Dromana in the Seawinds Garden Arthurs Seat, Victoria. A number of his smaller works are in the collection of the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.All that remain of some of his sculptures which have been vandalised ,are photographic records which are held in the archives of Australia's libraries.These sculptures are mainly those from Pitchi Ritchi and Mount Dandenong sanctuaries.William Ricketts supported himself through his commissioned sales of his art and pieces he made as gifts. William Rickett's signed original pieces are now highly sought after by private collector's.

William Ricketts travelled to India in 1970. For two years he stayed at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram spiritual center in Puducherry,he wanted to understand the Indian people and learn their philosophy. The Victorian Government bought Potters Sanctuary from William Ricketts in the 1960's .They renamed it William Ricketts Sanctuary and it became a public park.William Ricketts lived at the William Ricketts Sanctuary, and continued his work until he died in 1993.