The tragic death of world-famous ‘crocodile hunter’ Steve Irwin on September 4th, 2006 broke the hearts of his millions of fans across the world, as well as his beloved family.
Leaving behind his wife of 14 years, Terri Irwin, and two young children Bindi and Robert (who were eight and three at the time), Steve left behind an incredible legacy of caring for and promoting the conservation of wildlife both in and outside of Australia.
WATCH NOW: Bindi Irwin reveals her true feelings about stingrays. Article continues after video.
While time has surely eased the grief of the Irwin family, the crocodile hunter is still very much at the forefront of everything Terri, Bindi, and Robert do.
Over the years, the family has paid tribute to their late husband and father by sharing numerous throwback pictures to mark special milestones as well as speaking candidly about their grief as well as how they hope to honour Steve’s life’s work.
We’ve compiled a gallery of the most heartwarming tributes Terri, Bindi, and Robert have shared with the public…
On February 3, 2023, Robert celebrated the epic love of his parents.
“It was on this day 31 years ago that my parents got engaged and set in motion what would become a legacy larger than life,” Robert wrote.
“I love my mum and dad so much…I’m proud to be their son.”
To mark what would have been his 61st birthday, both Bindi and Robert took to their Instagram accounts to share touching posts.
Bindi wrote, alongside a sweet picture of her and Steve, “Happy Birthday Dad. Thank you for instilling a love for all species, courage to follow my heart, and determination to make a difference in the world for wildlife and wild places.”
“Your legacy lives on and the world is forever changed because of your dedication to conservation. Mum, Robert, and I love and miss you so much,” Bindi continued.
Similarly, Robert posted a picture of himself, Bindi, and their dad with the caption, “Happy birthday, Dad.”
The official Australia Zoo Instagram account also shared a birthday tribute to Steve of their own.
“Happy birthday to the original wildlife warrior.”
“Countless wildlife, wild places, and people thank you for your message of love.”
In a touching tribute, Robert took to his Instagram to share sweet memories about his ute, which used to be Steve’s.
“My dad’s ute…it’s a special car. From early memories when Dad would park and let me pretend to drive, to more recently when I took my driver’s test in it (and somehow managed not to stall it),” Robert wrote.
“I remember my first solo drive in this car after I got my license – it was to the hospital to meet my niece for the first time, right after she was born. And now, the ute still comes on road trips to this day…”
WATCH NOW: Bindi Irwin shares unseen footage of father Steve Irwin. Article continues after video.
A now-adult Bindi always makes sure to keep her late father’s spirit alive, often paying tribute to him through her work at the family-run Australia Zoo and, of course, on her Instagram.
As part of this, Bindi often shares unseen footage of the crocodile hunter doing what he loved most – working to educate his audience about numerous animal species, and the human behaviours (climate change, deforestation, hunting etc) that threaten them.
Sunday, June 4th, 2023 marked what would have been Steve and Terri Irwin’s 31st wedding anniversary.
Holding a special place in many Australians’ hearts, the family has continued to live out the legacy of their love for Steve.
This is certainly evident when it comes to their children, Bindi and Robert Irwin who never fail to memorialise their parent’s everlasting love.
“Throwing back to a beach-side moment, Bindi shared the heartwarming sentiment: “A love like this is eternal. Happy Anniversary to my extraordinary parents.“
Similarly, Robert shared a cute Australia Zoo couples photo with the caption, “Happy wedding anniversary Mum and Dad. Forever my biggest inspirations.”
Terri responded to her children’s tributes on Twitter writing, “It makes me happy to remember this special day.”
Terri and her lookalike kids made the trip across to the United States of America for the annual Steve Irwin gala dinner which raises important funds for the vital conservation work Australia Zoo does.
“Here’s to dedicating our lives to protecting, and exploring, and creating change for our Mother Award,” Bindi captioned the above photo.
In 2023, the gala was marked by an extra special milestone as the Irwin family was awarded the President’s Award for Conservation.
On the official Australia Zoo Instagram, the social media team wrote that it was a “great night.”
“The Steve Irwin Gala in Los Angeles was a great night celebrating the life and legacy of Steve while raising funds for our global conservation projects!”
“Terri, Bindi & Robert are the driving force behind continuing what Steve started, and we’re so proud of everything they achieve for wildlife conservation! “
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On the official Wildlife Warrior Worldwide Instagram account, the Irwin family reflected upon Steve’s legacy on World Crocodile Day on June 17th.
“Wildlife Warriors is leading the charge in understanding and conserving crocodiles, further contributing to the preservation of entire ecosystems. From groundbreaking research on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve, we’re learning exciting findings about these modern-day dinosaurs, hoping to have their population thriving for future generations. Crikey!“
The reserve in question is located on Cape York Peninsula and is a vast mosaic of rainforests, wetlands, and savannas that are set across an impressive 330,000 acres.
Rob was quick to bring tears to the eyes of his 3.8 million Instagram followers with an emotional tribute to Steve on August 19th.
“Since the early days when Dad was catching wild crocs – finding the signs of where they’ve been is the most important skill. My dad was the greatest in the world when it came to tracking these elusive creatures,” he wrote.
“Proud to continue his legacy,” he continued.
In two accompanying side-by-side photos, Steve and Robert are seen smiling for the camera as they both follow crocodile tracks in the wilderness, some 20 years apart.
“Your dad left us a gift Robert, that gift is you – carrying on his legacy. Keep up the great work,” one fan commented on the post, with hundreds of thousands more love heart reacting to the emotional tribute.
WATCH NOW: Robert Irwin shares a Father’s Day tribute to his late father. Article continues after video.
To mark Father’s Day in Australia, Rob shared a video montage of his favourite memories of his late father, with never-before-seen clips of the young wildlife warrior shared with fans and followers for the first time.
“Today is Father’s Day here in Australia. Days like this are filled with so many different emotions, but above all, I choose to make it a happy day to remember the best moments with the best Dad,” Rob captioned the emotional post.
Sister Bindi was quick to jump in the comments and publicly show her support, and share in her admiration for her younger brother.
“Dad is SO. PROUD. OF. YOU. He’s always with us. Love you,” she wrote.
Speaking of Bindi, the mother of one also took to her socials to share a heartwarming tribute to her father Steve for Father’s Day, with a simple ❤️ as the caption.
The image itself was of a toddler Bindi looking on intently as her father lifted up a wild snake to admire.
September 4th, 2023 marked 17 years since the Crocodile Hunter departed this life for his next.
To mark the occasion, his widow Terri shared a new image of her late husband to her Instagram account, with a simple, yet powerful caption.
“Remembering Steve.”
WATCH NOW: Rob Irwin reflects on his father’s legacy. Article continues after video.
Millions of followers were left teary-eyed when Rob shared an emotional video of his late father reflecting upon his legacy and his hopes for his children and their future.
“Is there anything in this world that would want to make me give away what I’m doing now? Yes, yes there is,” an emotional Steve says in the video.
“When my children can take the football that I call wildlife conservation and run it up. When they’re ready to run up our mission, I will gladly step aside. I guarantee it would have been the proudest moment of my life, and my job will be done then, and only then will I know that I have achieved my ultimate goal, to be able to stand aside and let them run up my mission.”
In the video, clips of Steve talking to the camera are edited with Steve with his son when he was a toddler and finally with Steve feeding a croc to Rob feeding a croc at Australia Zoo.
“I know your dad is so proud of you. I love you,” his mum Terri commented, with Rob’s girlfriend Rorie also sharing a sweet message of support with “Love you.”
