Bindi Irwin leads loving tributes 20 years after her father’s passing
Larrikin croc wrangler Steve Irwin has been lovingly remembered on the 20th anniversary of his passing, with daughter Bindi and son Robert leading the tributes to the wildlife conservationist
READING LEVEL: ORANGE
Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin was remembered on Friday as his family and the nation marked the 20 year anniversary of his death.
The larrikin* conservationist* with endless energy and an unwavering* passion for wildlife seemed to embody the Australian spirit. Irwin left behind a lasting legacy that continues to inspire generations to care about animals and the environment.
Irwin, fondly remembered as the Crocodile Hunter, was 44 when fatally injured by a stingray while filming in the waters off Port Douglas in Far North Queensland on September 4, 2006.
Twenty years on from his unexpected death, the original Wildlife Warrior has been remembered as a genuine bloke who was universally adored.
Daughter Bindi commemorated* the anniversary on social media.
“20 years ago today, the world lost the most passionate and dedicated wildlife conservationist,” she wrote in a heartfelt caption on Instagram, alongside a video of her father.
“Our family lost our superhero. My mum lost the love of her life; my brother and I lost the greatest dad.
“In the last 20 years, I have watched the world mourn my dad with our family. I always thought that my dad’s legacy is wildlife conservation; it turns out, his legacy is love.”
Bindi wrote that her five-year-old daughter, named Grace Warrior in honour of Steve, watches her grandfather’s documentaries every morning.
“She feels utterly loved by her ‘grandpa crocodile’ without ever having met him,” Bindi said.
“My dad left a lasting impact so poignant* that it will ripple out for generations to come. I believe with my whole heart that his love will live on forever.”
“Dad, I love you with my whole heart. Thank you for being our guardian angel. And most of all, thank you for watching over my daughter now, too. She loves you so much. We all do,” Bindi said.
Robert Irwin also paid tribute to his late father in a touching social media post, sharing an old photo of the pair.
The 22-year-old posted a photo of Steve holding him as a baby.
“Always with us,” Robert wrote in the caption.
Terri Irwin responded to the tribute, writing “your dad loves you so very much,” on the post.
Former prime minister John Howard, who was leading the country when Irwin died, said Irwin was a great Australian character and an all-round fine bloke.
“I remember him coming to the special barbecue I had at The Lodge when President (George W.) Bush visited Australia, and to President Bush he was by far and away the best known Australian – it’s a testament* to the impact he had not only on our country but on the world,” Mr Howard said.
Current Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said it was hard to believe 20 years had passed.
“I think what Queenslanders love most about Steve Irwin is he had this incredible belief in conservation and wildlife,” Mr Crisafulli said.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS LIVE ON
It may be 20 years since the world lost Steve Irwin, but the wildlife warrior legacy is alive and well.
Many of his biggest and best moments were caught on camera and continue to delight today.
“I’ve been put on this planet to protect wildlife and wilderness areas, which in essence is going to help humanity,” he once said.
There was no shortage of shocks and laughs along the way – some of his antics had to be seen to be believed.
Irwin memorably took centrestage at the Logies one year by introducing Australia’s top TV talent and the huge audience watching at home to his date: a live snake, which he immediately let loose.
Irwin was confident – sometimes too confident – around deadly animals and he sometimes got things badly wrong.
“This one is a python and as you see, he won’t bite,” he said.
You can guess what happened next. And it wasn’t the only reptile encounter to go awry: another snake famously decided it was time to get off camera and bit Irwin right on the face.
All antics aside, Irwin was a devoted and adoring family man.
Steve and little Bindi once had a crack at making a smoothie, only for things to go completely pear-shaped. The embarrassed dad – a global megastar at the time – ended up covered in strawberry milk, which wasn’t a blender success but did succeed in endearing him even more to his legion of fans. Bindi, meanwhile, couldn’t hide her smile.
It was these small moments that made Irwin the figure first Australia and then the world came to love. The world got to see exactly why Aussies couldn’t get enough by this wild man when US talk show host Conan O’Brien was left stunned by Irwin coming on the Late Night set and wrangling a croc on live TV.
Crocs were Irwin’s calling card and turned even everyday chores like mowing a lawn into dramatic footage, as when his massive global audience watched the Crocodile Hunter try his hand at trimming the grass inside a crocodile enclosure. That minor chore quickly turned into a fight for his life, as the not-so-friendly apex predator* emerged to have a look and a lunge – a typical tussle for Irwin, who was thankfully surprisingly light on his feet.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- larrikin: a cheeky, mischievous, often fun person who doesn’t really obey the rules
- conservationist: someone who works to protect the environment from the damaging effects of human activity
- legacy: something important that is a part of your history and carries on or that remains from an earlier time
- unwavering: never changing or weakening
- commemorated: to show honour to the memory of an important person or event in a special way
- poignant: causing or having a very sharp feeling of sadness
- testament: proof, evidence, a clear sign that something is the case, or that someone’s good qualities, skills or achievements have been demonstrated
- apex predator: the carnivore at the top of the food chain with no natural predators of its own
EXTRA READING
Robert Irwin’s close call with cranky croc
Robert Irwin’s new era of conservation
Bindi’s International Women’s Day honour
QUICK QUIZ
- When and how did Steve Irwin die?
- Irwin brought a very unusual guest to the 2003 Logies – what was it?
- What did Irwin do that shocked US talk show host Conan O’Brien?
- What everyday chore became a run for his life and what did he have to flee?
- Irwin was by far the best known Australian by which former US president?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What makes a “great Australian character”?
In the news story, Steve Irwin is described by former prime minister John Howard as a “great Australian character”.
Make a list of attributes that Steve Irwin had that made him so memorable and so beloved to Australians and the world. You can use words and descriptions that have been used in the news story, as well as your own thoughts based on pictures and videos you have seen featuring Irwin.
Who do you believe are some other “great Australian characters”? Choose one person from your list and explain why you think they fit this description.
Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English
2. Extension
Make a short skit or film where you play a Steve Irwin-like character. Tell your audience about an everyday item (e.g. a chair, some rubbish in the yard, etc.) with the same intensity and enthusiasm that Irwin had when talking about the wildlife he loved so much.
Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Drama, Media Arts
VCOP ACTIVITY
Read with Kung Fu punctuation
Pair up with the article between you and stand up to make it easy to demonstrate your Kung Fu punctuation.
Practise reading one sentence at a time. Now read it again, while acting out the punctuation as you read.
Read and act three sentences before swapping with your partner.
Take two turns each.
Now ask your partner to read a sentence out loud while you try and act out the punctuation. Can you keep up? Swap over?
Try acting out two sentences – are you laughing yet?