FYI: Who was Steve Irwin?
'Unlike everyone else on the planet, I had never heard of Steve Irwin until ... I was solemnly informed of his demise by Kevin the Australian barman in the pub in Lan Kwai Fong.' Hong Kong blogger Hemlock.
Following Steve Irwin's death on September 4, aged 44, from a stingray stab, Australian Prime Minister John Howard claimed, 'Australia has lost a wonderful and colourful son'. US talk-show host Jay Leno delivered an emotional, on-air tribute to Irwin - a regular on Leno's show - describing him as an ambassador for Australia. And Irwin's father, Bob, turned down a state funeral for his son, whom he described as 'a regular bloke'. Some considered him a buffoon, others a national hero. For the benefit of Hemlock, this is who Steve Irwin was.
Born in Melbourne, Irwin grew up on the small Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, a business established by his parents. After leaving school, he became a trapper in the north of Queensland, removing crocodiles from populated areas. He did not charge for his services, instead keeping the crocs he caught and sending them to the family zoo. He changed the park's name to Australia Zoo after taking over in 1991, the year he first appeared on TV, in a one-off wildlife special.
In 1992, he met his future wife, American Terri Raines, at the park. Footage of their crocodile-trapping honeymoon became the first episode of TV series The Crocodile Hunter, which debuted in Australia in 1996. Since then, an estimated 200 million people in more than 100 countries have tuned in to watch the Crocodile Hunter, as Irwin became known, his exuberance, broad accent, ever-present khakis and catchphrase, 'Crikey!', becoming known worldwide and reinforcing the image of a typical Aussie male established by the likes of Paul 'Crocodile Dundee' Hogan.
In 2002, his only feature film, The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course, was released to generally negative reviews. Irwin kept popping up in documentaries while children's TV show The Wiggles dedicated a feature-length episode to him, his wife and their daughter, Bindi Sue. Irwin even managed to bag the ultimate in televisual tribute: a caricature on South Park.