Early years

Born to Lyn and Bob Irwin in Essendon, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Irwin moved with his parents as a child to Queensland in 1970. Bob was a reptile enthusiast and when the family moved, Bob and Lyn Irwin started the small Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, where Steve grew up around crocodiles and other reptiles.

Irwin became involved with the park in a number of ways, including taking part in daily animal feedings, as well as care and maintenance activities.

On his sixth birthday he was given a scrub python. He began handling crocodiles at the age of nine, after his father had educated him on reptiles from an early age. He graduated from Caloundra State High School in 1979. He soon moved to Northern Queensland, where he became a crocodile trapper, removing crocodiles from populated areas where they were considered a danger.

He performed the service for free with the quid pro quo that he be allowed to keep them for the park. Crocodiles that he caught were sent down to the family zoo. He stayed in North Queensland for around five years. Irwin followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming a volunteer for the Queensland Government’s East Coast Crocodile Management program.

Career

Rise to fame

The park was a family run business until it was turned over to Irwin in 1991. He took over the running of the park, now called Australia Zoo (renaming it in 1992). Also that year, he appeared in a one-off reptile and wildlife special for television. In 1992, he met Terri Raines at the park, whilst performing a demonstration. The two later married.

The footage, shot by John Stainton, of their crocodile-trapping honeymoon became the first episode of The Crocodile Hunter. The series debuted on Australian TV screens in 1996, and by the following year had made its way onto North American television.

The Crocodile Hunter became wildly successful in the United States and the UK. By 1999, he had become very popular in the United States, making his first appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. By this time, the series was now broadcast in over 122 countries, reaching 200 million people. His exuberant and enthusiastic presenting style, broad Australian accent, constant wearing of khakis and catch-phrase “Crikey!” became known worldwide.

Under Irwin’s expansive leadership, the operations grew to include the zoo, the television series, the Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation, and the International Crocodile Rescue. Improvements to the Australia Zoo include the Animal Planet Crocoseum, the rainforest aviary and Tiger Temple. Irwin mentioned that he was considering opening an Australia Zoo in Las Vegas, Nevada, and possibly at other sites around the world.

Film

In 2001, Irwin appeared in a cameo role in the Eddie Murphy film Dr. Dolittle 2. In 2002, his first and only feature film The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course was released to generally negative reviews. Irwin portrayed himself in addition to performing numerous stunts for the film. The film follows Irwin who mistakes some CIA agents for poachers.

He sets out to stop them from capturing a crocodile, who, unknown to him, has actually swallowed a tracking drone. The film won the Best Family Feature Film award for a comedy film at the Young Artist Awards. The film was produced on a budget of about $12 million, and has grossed over $28 million (as of September 2006). In 2003 Irwin was reportedly in line to host a chat show on Australian network television, a series that never went into production.[citation needed]

Animal Planet

Animal Planet ended The Crocodile Hunter with a series finale entitled “Steve’s Last Adventure.” The last Crocodile Hunter documentary went for three hours with footage of Irwin’s across-the-world adventure, visiting locations like the Himalayas, the Yangtze River, Borneo, and the Kruger National Park. Irwin went on to star in other Animal Planet documentaries, including The Croc Files, The Crocodile Hunter Diaries, and New Breed Vets.

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