Irwin snaps up Greer's spot
By Melanie Christiansen
February 15, 2007 11:00pm

FEMINIST and author Germaine Greer infamously claimed the animal world had taken its revenge onSteve Irwin after the wildlife champion was killed by a stingray barb last year.
Now his supporters have taken their revenge on Greer, cheering after her portrait was taken down from the walls of Australia's National Portrait Gallery and replaced with a photo of Irwin.
"I love it," said the Irwins' manager John Stainton.
"Isn't that funny. I just think life has some very strange twists and justice does get done."
The outspoken feminist caused a storm of protest when she wrote a scathing critique of Irwin only days after his death last September.
As well as saying the animal world had finally taken its revenge on Irwin, she described the popular zoo keeper as "an entertainer, a 21st-century version of a lion tamer, with crocodiles instead of lions" and attacked his distraught and grieving mourners as "idiots".
The portrait gallery said its decision to put in to storage a study of Greer, by Jacqueline Mitelman, in preference to the portrait of Irwin, donated by Melbourne celebrity photographer Robin Sellick, was in response to "strong public demand".
"I can totally see the irony in the situation," a gallery spokesman said. "But it was just coincidental. Seriously it was not a politically motivated decision whatsoever."
With space to display about 100 portraits, the spokesman said the collection was frequently rotated.
He said there had been a lot of interest in the Irwin portrait.
"A lot of members of the public were inquiring as to when it would be hung," he said.
He said Greer's portrait would probably reappear in coming rotations at the gallery.