Queensland unveils oceanside memorial for Crocodile Hunter
Tuesday, December 4, 2007

A memorial statue of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin has been unveiled on Australia's Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

Irwin's wife, Terri, and their two children, Bindi and Robert, were on hand in the popular east coast resort town of Mooloolaba on Monday to help unveil the statue, which sits facing the ocean.

Several tributes to Steve Irwin, best known as TV's Crocodile Hunter, have emerged over the past year, including memorial statues, a stamp and a new wildlife sanctuary.
The sculpture, which cost approximately $78,600 Cdn, depicts the late TV personality and wildlife expert smiling and holding a small crocodile while flanked by his children.

Created by Australian artist Silvio Apponyi, the statue was carved from a single slab of marble and took about two months to complete.

Maroochy Shire Council commissioned the piece, which was paid for by Mayor Joe Natoli's fund for capital works.

The statue is intended to honour Irwin as a family man, a conservationist and a former apprentice diesel fitter in Maroochy Shire, Natoli said.


While filming a documentary in northern Queensland in September 2006, Irwin, 44, died after a stingray pierced his heart with its barb.

His death sparked a massive outpouring of grief from his fans and supporters throughout Australia and the world. Irwin's family declined the government's offer of a state funeral in favour of a private service for family and close friends.

A subsequent televised public memorial drew a crowd of about 5,000 to Irwin's Australia Zoo and included tributes from Prime Minister John Howard and actor Russell Crowe.

Since his death, other initiatives to honour Irwin have also been introduced, including a commemorative stamp, a Steve Irwin Day in Queensland and the creation of a namesake national park and wildlife reserve in northern Queensland.