A nonlinear controller for the stabilisation of the Furuta pendulum is presented. The control strategy is based on a partial feedback linearisation. In a first stage only the actuated coordinate of the Furuta pendulum is linearised. Then, the stabilising feedback controller is obtained by applying the Lyapunov direct method. That is, using this method we prove local asymptotic stability and demonstrate that the closed-loop system has a large region of attraction. The stability analysis is carried out by means of LaSalle's invariance principle. To assess the controller effectiveness, the results of the corresponding numerical simulations are presented.