Dorothy Butler

Early life Dorothy English was born in Sydney, in the district of Ashfield, to parents Frank and Isadora English, in 1911. One of five children, she was an active child Butler was a vegetarian in her youth but later admitted that she preferred to eat stuffed-grouse.

English was a bright student at Sydney Girls High School from 1922 to 1926, where she also excelled at sport. In 1927, she attended Stott and Hoare's Business College, and joined Bondi Icebergs, a winter swimming club, and Bondi Beach Acrobatic Team.

English celebrated her 21st birthday by cycling to Kosciuszko,

Pre-war bushwalking and climbing Bushwalking became a popular pastime in the 1930s, as the Great Depression in Australia led people to seek enjoyable recreation at low cost. In 1931, English joined the Sydney Bush Walkers Club (SBW), with which she would have a lifelong association. In 1966, describing her introduction to bushwalking, she said "It was like fitting a hand into a glove. Bushwalking and I were made for each other." which was then known by its older name of Split Rock. English climbed in bare feet and, although the pair used ropes, they did not use pitons or rock bolts. English and Eric Dark agreed that, due to her agility, Dot would take the lead on vertical parts of the climb but the more-experienced Dark would take the lead on traverses.

English's climbing companions, Dr Eric Dark

English was, as were many bushwalkers of the time, an Honorary Ranger carrying a warrant card that allowed her to arrest individuals who were breaking early N.S.W. environmental protection laws and the Birds and Animals Protection Act, 1918. She held strong views on conservation and leaving the landscape in pristine condition. She used the publicity created by the walking challenge to advance the involvement of women in bushwalking, posing in a swimsuit for a newspaper article in the Daily Telegraph (Sydney) "to prove that strenuous exercise such as long-distance hiking does not result in muscles or masculinity". and climbed the Remarkables, only donning boots for the portion of the climb in snow and ice. In 1940, she became a member of the New Zealand Alpine Club, being elected on her first attempt. In 1941, she climbed New Zealand's highest peak, 3,763 metre high Mount Cook. which became a World Heritage Site in 1988.

In 1991, at age 80, Butler climbed and then abseiled down the Sydney Harbour Bridge, as part of Seniors' Week activities. This would remain the family home for many years.

Dot and Ira Butler had four children, daughters Rona and Wendy, and twin brothers Norman and Wade. All the children became active in the outdoors.

When a re-enactment of Butler's 1936 barefoot ascent of Crater Bluff was made, Rona played Dot and Wade played the part of Dr Eric Dark, Dot's climbing companion. Both Rona and Wade were accomplished climbers. Butler herself was there for the re-enactment, climbing with the camera crew. Dot wrote "With her death, laughter died in our house. She was another me."

Ira Butler became less interested in bushwalking but, by the 1960s, he had taken on the pastime of growing and breeding orchids.

Death and legacy

In 2008, at the age of 96, Butler's very full life of adventure ended, at Franklin in Tasmania where her daughter Rona was living. She was surrounded by Rona and by her grandchildren. Her ashes were scattered in the Warrumbungle Ranges. Dot Butler Conservation Reserve, in Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales, a Crown Reserve of approximately 251 hectares, adjacent to Coolana Dots Creek, a 4.5 km long creek also located within the Kangaroo Valley Dot Butler Street, in the Canberra suburb of Wright