Dorothy "Dot" Butler aka the barefoot bushwalker

[ben.h]

Hi bushwalkers,
On Radio ABC 936 Hobart this morning was a two part interview with Iluna, daughter of Dorothy "Dot" Butler aka the barefoot bushwalker. Fascinating interview. Such an interesting and inspirational woman
I wrote an email asking for the audio to be made available and ABC 936 kindly agreed! (thanks Jo Spargo).

So here it is:
http://blogs.abc.net.au/tasmania/2008/0 ... t-but.html

Enjoy

Edit: The interview is with Dorothy's daughter, Iluna, the subject discussed is her mother. I re-read the post and this point wasn't clear. Enjoy

Last edited by ben.h on Thu 10 Apr, 2008 7:32 pm, edited 4 times in total.

[frank_in_oz]

Great pick up, thanks Ben. Have followed her story for years. Great lady.
Thank you for arranging the files to be available. Will listed with interest.
Frank

[johnw]

Hi bushwalkers,
On Radio ABC 936 Hobart this morning was a two part interview with Dorothy "Dot" Butler aka the barefoot bushwalker. Fascinating interview. Such an interesting and inspirational woman
I wrote an email asking for the audio to be made available and ABC 936 kindly agreed! (thanks Jo Spargo).

So here it is:
http://blogs.abc.net.au/tasmania/2008/0 ... t-but.html

Enjoy

Thanks for posting this Ben and good work in getting the audio . I recently read the report below on her passing and look forward to listening to the interview:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/obituaries/well-born-the-barefoot-bushwalker/2008/03/27/1206207298225.html

Kind regards,
John W

[ben.h]

That article was a great read.
Thanks John

[Joe]

Just read the article and listened to the strem..what a legend. The book would be a speccy read I reckon. Might have to look it up.

[DaveNoble]

Thanks for the link

When i met Dot's daughter - she was called Rona - and was a good bushwalker like her mum. She was married then to Jack Pettigrew, who was them overseas (at Caltech in the states) but had been a well known bushwalker and climber in Sydney - and did a lot of stuff in Tassie too I think.

One of Dot's sons - Wade Butler - vanished on a solo trip to PB - some time in the 80's I think. There was a big search for him. He too was an experienced and very capable bushwalker - and what happened to him is a great mystery.

Dave

[tasadam]

Just stumbled on this...

http://runtrails.org/articles/?p=644

[awells]

Dot Butler 'lost' three of her children. Wendy died when her foot got jammed in rocks on the Kowmung River. Norm died of a snake bite received on his property up near Lismore I think. Wade disappeared in the vicinity of Precipitous Bluff in 1995. At least one of her grandchildren, Eric Butler (Wade's son), is a fine rock climber, just like his grandmother.

[kanangra]

Yes I was going to say I think she lost a child on the Kowmung. I think I have her book at home somewhere. She was seriously tough and fast. Like walking barefoot down the Grose river valley from Blue Gum out to Richmond in a day.

K.

[FatCanyoner]

The book about Dot is well worth the read. My wife enjoyed it too, although unfortunately it didn't inspire her enough to get her doing harder walks!

Wendy, the daughter who died on the Kowmung, was on a Sydney Uni Bushwalkers trip. They were floating down the river, using floatation in their packs. Her foot got jammed and she was dragged under the flow. Despite efforts to rescue her she was unable to be saved. Tragic, and a reminded of the risks inherent in the activities we all enjoy.