William Ricketts was truly a visionary - a remarkable man - who sought, through his artist creations, to illustrate the relationship between man and his environment. He chose to purchase land in the beautiful Mountain Ash forest, with it's ferny understory, of the Dandenong Ranges in 1934, as the perfect place for his blending of the natural and spiritual realms. William created many kiln fired clay sculptures of aboriginal figures, which he positioned amongst the rocks and ferns, often in subtle locations.

His knowledge and insights were formed from his time spent with the Pitjantjatjara and Arrerute people of Central Australia. He uses extensively the motif of concentric circles (Churinga) indicating the source of life at the time of creation, incorporating animals and the natural surroundings in his work. He was a true environmentalist.

This place of tranquillity, beauty and spirituality is a testament to William Ricketts's philosophy (and that of the Kooris), that the natural environment is entrusted to us all and by nurturing the earth we nurture life! We all can learn much from his vision.