Butlers Stairs

Butlers Stairs are a set of stairs located in the eastern suburbs of Woolloomooloo in Sydney, Australia.

These stairs are part of a trio of significant stairways, including McElhone Stairs and Hordern Stairs, which connect Brougham Street, Woolloomooloo, to Victoria Street, Potts Point. The stairs were named after James Butler, an Irish draper, and alderman on Sydney Council, who lived and worked with his family at 106 William Street, and was instrumental in having them laid in 1869. The stairs play an essential role in the history of Sydney, reflecting the civic pride and financial investments in pedestrian infrastructure taken during the Victorian era.

The Butlers Stairs is a popular tourist spot offering a glimpse of Sydney's history and architecture. Visitors can climb up or down the stairs and explore the urban canyon created by the blank walls of the buildings on either side of the stairway. The stairs comprise five flights, with a total of 103 steps, and are 7'1” (2.16m) wide with 12-inch (30cm) thick sandstone balustrades on either side. The architectural design of the stairs reflects the general economic growth of the Victorian era, with highly detailed and labor-intensive masonry work, ornate wrought-iron lamp frames, carved sandstone end piers, and cast-iron bollards located on the landings.

The Butlers Stairs can be visited at any time of the year. Butlers Stairs