William Ricketts Sanctuary.

William Edward Ricketts purchased 4 ½ acres near Kalorama, on the Mt Dandenong Road, in 1935 as an artist’s retreat which he called “Potter’s Sanctuary”. The land adjoined 9-acres of State forest.

Bill supported himself with commissioned art works and received some philanthropic donations.

From 1949 to 1960, he made frequent trips into Central Australia to live with indigenous groups, whose traditions and culture inspired his sculptures. But while he was away in 1960, vandals stole and damaged some of his works at Kalorama.

On the 17 November 1960, the local MP and Member for Scoresby, Bill Borthwick, (later Minister for Conservation in the Hamer Government), visited the site with Mr Keith Hume Fraser and another local councillor, Hubert Ellis Jeeves.

Keith Fraser was the owner of Mt Dandenong Bus Lines in the early 1950s and was a well-known and influential resident who served as a Councillor in the Shire of Lilydale. He was also the Secretary of the Mt Dandenong Reserves Committee (which now includes the sky-high restaurant).

Bill Borthwick, immediately recommended to the Minister for Forests, Alexander John Fraser, that the Ricketts property, along with the remaining artworks, be purchased by the Victorian State Government. The  Minister then visited the site to see for himself.

Things moved quickly and the Government contacted the Commonwealth Bank about releasing the £400 mortgage on the property. The final selling price for the property was £1200 which was deemed more than reasonable.

In January 1961, the State Government announced its intention to purchase and run the Ricketts Reserve. It was initially suggested that it be managed as a National Park, but the proposal was strongly resisted by the parks advisory committee who felt it didn’t meet their criteria. It then fell to the Forests Commission Victoria (FCV) to manage the site.

I was always told that the intervention of the Premier, Sir Henry Bolte, (allegedly at the insistence of his wife, Edith, after she had visited), had influenced the Government to act so quickly and purchase the land. Although the FCV file does not make this apparent, but that is not surprising.

State Cabinet then advanced an initial sum of £14,000 to purchase the property, build a new house, a studio, a kiln and security fencing. The State Electricity Commission (SEC) assisted by putting power to the property. Bill was also advanced a stipend of £4 per week as caretaker and to cover his living expenses while on residence.

In June 1962, the land was dedicated as a Special Purposes Reserve under the Forest Act (1958). Later in 1964, it was set aside for the preservation of native flora and fauna under the Act, and a Committee of Management was appointed. The Committee was mainly made up of local people including Mr & Mrs L H Atkinson, Mr L Bakas, Mr R Wilson, all who were friends with Bill, and the local District Forester, Jim Westcott.  The grounds were then maintained by the FCV crew from Olinda and Ron Olver was the first warden.

The William Ricketts Sanctuary opened to the public on 8 November 1964 and remained a very popular tourist attraction for many years.

Undeterred by a lack of funds or preparation, Bill shipped a truck loaded with sculptures and travelled to America (1966) and later to India (1970–72) to share his message.

He then returned as resident at Kalorama and stayed until his death in 1993, aged 94.

His work is not to my taste, and I recall visiting with the District Forester, Frank May, several times in the late 1970s. He wasn’t fond of bureaucrats or foresters.

Parks Victoria took responsibility for Ricketts Sanctuary in 1987 when the Dandenong Ranges National Park was proclaimed.

However, big storms in June 2021 brought down trees which damaged some of the sculptures and the site has been closed ever since.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Ricketts

PROV – FCV File 62/763. Dandenong purchase William Ricketts sanctuary & advisory committee.