Bindi and Robert Irwin honour dad Steve Irwin 20 years after his death: ‘Your legacy is forever’
“Where there is enormous grief, there is even greater love,” his daughter Bindi wrote on Instagram
Bindi and Robert Irwin are remembering their father, Steve Irwin, 20 years after the beloved wildlife conservationist and The Crocodile Hunter star died at the age of 44.
On September 4, 2006, Steve was fatally struck by a stingray barb while filming the documentary Ocean’s Deadliest at Batt Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Two decades later, his children paid tribute to their father and reflected on the legacy he left behind.
Robert, who was just two years old when his father died, shared a childhood photograph of himself sitting on Steve’s lap. In the picture, the young Robert looks up at his father, who is dressed in his trademark khaki clothing.
“Your legacy is forever,” Robert wrote alongside the photograph.
Bindi, who was eight when Steve died, marked the anniversary by sharing a video of her father speaking about the day she was born.
In the footage, Steve described Bindi’s birth as “the most incredible wildlife experience of my life” and became emotional as he recalled meeting his daughter for the first time.
Alongside the video, Bindi reflected on the profound impact of losing her father at such a young age.
She wrote that Steve’s death meant more than losing a passionate wildlife conservationist. “Our family lost our superhero,” she said, adding that her mother, Terri Irwin, lost the love of her life while she and Robert lost their father.
Bindi also opened up about how grief has remained part of her life over the past two decades.
“Grief never truly leaves us; we walk alongside it every day,” she wrote, while adding that “where there is enormous grief, there is even greater love.”
The 27-year-old also reflected on how Steve’s legacy has continued to reach new generations. Bindi revealed that her five-year-old daughter, Grace Warrior, watches her grandfather’s documentaries and feels connected to him despite never having met him.
“She feels utterly loved by the ‘grandpa crocodile’ without having met him,” Bindi wrote.
Bindi and Robert have both followed in their father’s footsteps, continuing his commitment to wildlife conservation while developing careers in television and media of their own. Together with their mother, they remain involved with Australia Zoo and the conservation work that Steve dedicated his life to.
Steve became an international television star through The Crocodile Hunter, introducing audiences around the world to wildlife with his energetic personality and fearless approach to working with animals. His death sent shockwaves across the globe, with an estimated 300 million people watching his public memorial service at Australia Zoo later that month.
His family has continued to preserve that connection with wildlife. Bindi and Robert have both become prominent conservation advocates, while Robert has also gained a large following through his television work and wildlife photography.
For Bindi, however, Steve’s greatest legacy is not simply his work with animals but the love he gave his family.
“Dad, I love you with my whole heart,” she wrote. “Thank you for being our guardian angel, and most of all, thank you for watching over my daughter now too.”
Twenty years after his death, Steve Irwin remains a powerful presence in the lives of his children, his family and the generations of wildlife lovers who continue to discover his work.
