Dot Butler

Dorothy Butler (née English; 12 September 1911 – 21 February 2008) —better known as Dot Butler—was an Australian bushwalker, mountaineer and conservationist.

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 later recalling, “all our childhood entertainment was climbing – brick kilns, chimneys, telegraph poles – anything off the horizontal, and always barefoot of course”.

She recounted that the 'prize' climb, for the English children, was the giant crane used to lift locomotives at the Chullora railway yards.

Butler was a vegetarian in her youth but later admitted that she preferred to eat stuffed-grouse.

English celebrated her 21st birthday by cycling to Kosciuszko, doing some skiing while there.

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.

With money earned in her first job as a stenographer, English, who never saw being a woman as an obstacle to any undertaking, cycled around Tasmania, on her own, barefoot and wearing shorts.

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 such as the Wild Flowers and Native Plants Protection Act, 1927 and the Birds and Animals Protection Act, 1918.

She held strong views on conservation and leaving the landscape in pristine condition.

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.

English studied physiotherapy at Sydney University from 1933 to 1935, while bushwalking at every opportunity.

While at university, she was introduced to rock climbing by her friend Marie Byles, herself—among her many accomplishments—an accomplished mountaineer.

English later recalled that, ''"Marie lent me mountaineering books which fired my imagination—the reconnaissance of Everest by Shipton and Tilman, polar exploration, both Arctic and Antarctic, adventuring in Greenland and Iceland. It excited me enormously."

''

In 1936, English and Dr Eric Dark were the first to climb Crater Bluff in the Warrumbungles, 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.

The pair were part of a larger expedition, including Marie Byles and another experienced alpine climber, 'Pan' Paszek, but, although Dot had never before climbed using ropes, she was chosen for the difficult climb.

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 and Marie Byles—both amazed by her natural skill and agility in the Crater Bluff climb—suggested that SBW should set up a climbing section.

English was happy to oblige, when Byles donated a brand new climbing rope to the club.

Later, in 1937, her solo cycling holiday in Tasmania was reported in The Daily Telegraph, under the heading, 'How to Holiday with No Money'.

The newspaper article told how she had gone to Tasmania and "saw 400 miles of its scenery for £5/12/- " including "£5/10/- on steamer fares".

It described English as a "cyclist, a vegetarian, and a frugal person", who had smuggled her bicycle onto the ship as passengers' luggage.

English told the reporter how, as a young woman travelling alone, she would often camp in cemeteries, so as not to attract unwelcome attention, and how she had fed herself cheaply during the trip.

The pre-war members of the climbing section of SBW largely consisted of 'Tiger' walkers, including the leading 'Tiger', Gordon Smith, who led the club's—and English's—first climbing trip in New Zealand, over three-months in 1937.

The group returned inspired to tackle challenging climbs.

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."

''

Another early female member of SBW was Marie Byles, who—although a decade older than Dot—became a lifelong friend of English.

English achieved fame among bushwalkers as the ‘barefoot walker’—she rarely wore boots or any other footwear when walking—and as one of the legendary ‘Tiger’ bushwalkers.

The ‘Tigers’ were an informal grouping within SBW, renowned for covering long distances over rugged and often uncharted terrain, at a very rapid pace.

They were very fit—even athletic—walkers, who carried only the lightest of equipment.

Dot was one of only two female 'Tiger' walkers.

Once, English and fellow 'Tiger', Max Gentle—starting around lunchtime on a Saturday—caught a train to Blackheath in the Blue Mountains and had descended to the Blue Gum Forest in the Grose Valley by mid-afternoon.

After camping overnight, by following the Grose River, they reached Richmond by the end of Sunday, covering 50 mi in a day and a half, through tough terrain.

As usual, English made the walk in bare feet.

English founded and edited the Sydney Bush Walkers Magazine, also contributing many articles to it.