William Ricketts Sculptures at Seawinds Gardens
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Atop Arthurs Seat on the Mornington Peninsula, a 34ha tract of land owned by Parks Victoria offers sweeping vistas of Port Phillip Bay, picnic spots to rival any other picnic spots, sweeping parklands with long established trees and an interesting blend of native and exotic gardens; all with the added bonus of a set of remarkable sculptures created by William Ricketts.
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William Ricketts was born in Richmond in 1898 and was never a rich man, but the expression of Aboriginal spirituality and his connection to nature became important themes in his works. He made frequent trips to central Australia and gained inspiration from the traditions and cultures of the Pitjantjatjara and Arrernte people. The William Ricketts sanctuary in the Dandenong Ranges is in itself a fascinating place, but we are lucky enough to have a small sample of the artist's exquisite works right here on the Mornington Peninsula.
The sculptures were purchased by Sir Thomas Travers in 1960 and made available to the public; they are displayed along a stone wall along with a plaque commemorating the Bunurong people from the Westernport region.
The gardens have well maintained paths meandering through open grassland and amongst the garden beds, some of which were created by past owners Sir Thomas and Lady Travers between 1946 and the early 1970's. Being on the top of a rather large hill some of the paths are sloped but still easily managed.
Clean barbeques and picnic tables are an inviting place to spend a few hours with friends or family under magnificent gum trees with plenty of space adjoining to work off all those calories. There are toilets and plenty of parking spaces as well, although car access is restricted at times.
The gardens and established trees make Seawinds an attractive and serene place to visit at any time of the year as there is a lovely mix of exotic evergreen and deciduous trees, along with many stately Australian natives. In the winter time, however, the origins of the name of the gardens becomes apparent, so rug up!
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216840 - 2023-06-16 07:29:47