Memorial Page for Steve Irwin (née Stephen Robert Irwin)

Steve Irwin (born 22 February 1962 in Upper Ferntree Gully, Victoria; died 4 September 2006 at the Great Barrier Reef) was an Australian zoo director, conservationist and television presenter. As the "Crocodile Hunter" he became known worldwide for his hands-on, often breathless approach to dangerous animals and for an enthusiasm for wildlife that captivated millions of viewers. His death during a filming trip on the Great Barrier Reef made him one of the most widely mourned figures in recent Australian history.

Childhood among snakes and crocodiles

Irwin grew up as the son of Bob and Lyn Irwin, who moved the family to Queensland's Sunshine Coast in 1970 and founded the Reptile and Fauna Park there, later renamed Australia Zoo. His father, a trained plumber and self-taught herpetologist, took him along early on his work for the state's East Coast Crocodile Management program; by his own account Irwin caught his first crocodile at age nine, and over his youth took part in relocating more than a hundred animals out of populated areas.

Australia Zoo and Terri

In 1991 Irwin took over management of the park together with his parents; that same year, on 6 October 1991, he met the American conservationist Terri Raines from Eugene, Oregon, there. The two married on 4 June 1992 at the First United Methodist Church in her hometown. In 1998 the park was officially renamed Australia Zoo.

The Crocodile Hunter and worldwide fame

What began as footage of their honeymoon, shot by cameraman John Stainton, became the television series The Crocodile Hunter in 1996. Within a few years it made Irwin one of the best-known Australians in the world: in the United States, the United Kingdom and more than 130 other countries alone, the episodes reportedly reached around 500 million viewers. His spontaneous, often breathless delivery on camera – punctuated by his catchphrase "Crikey!" – became his trademark and shaped how a whole generation experienced nature documentaries. In 2002 Irwin starred in his only feature film, Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course, which grossed around $33 million on a $12 million budget.

Family and a controversial moment

Daughter Bindi Sue was born in 1998 and son Robert Clarence in 2003. In January 2004 Irwin came under criticism after hand-feeding a nearly four-metre saltwater crocodile during a public presentation while holding his one-month-old son Robert. Child welfare and animal rights groups accused him of irresponsibility; Irwin apologised publicly, and the Queensland government subsequently changed the rules governing crocodile handling at public displays.

Conservation

Alongside his television work, Irwin founded the Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation, which later became Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, as well as International Crocodile Rescue and a memorial fund for his mother Lyn, who died in 2000. With the proceeds from television and the zoo, he bought large tracts of land in Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the United States to secure them permanently for conservation.

Death at the Great Barrier Reef

On 4 September 2006 Irwin was filming underwater footage at Batt Reef off the Queensland coast for the documentary series Ocean's Deadliest, together with marine researcher Philippe Cousteau Jr. While filming, a stingray's barb struck his chest, causing severe internal injuries; Irwin died at the scene. A private funeral took place on 9 September 2006 on the grounds of Australia Zoo. On 30 September a public memorial service followed in the zoo's 5,500-seat Crocoseum, broadcast around the world and reaching an estimated 300 million people.

Irwin was survived by his wife Terri and their two children, Bindi and Robert, who continue the work of Australia Zoo and Wildlife Warriors today. His legacy lies less in any single spectacular television moment than in how he brought an entire generation to respect dangerous and often misunderstood animals – with a directness and enthusiasm few in nature filmmaking had shown before him.