crikey! steve's gone

‘Give me a home among the gumtrees’.  In homes across Australia today people sang along with John  Williamson and cried  as they shared with the world the sweet and sad memorial service to Steve Irwin at his beloved Australia Zoo.

It was one of the most moving tributes ever to be seen and shared in this country. And when his little daughter Bindi got up there and talked about having the best Daddy in the world it was impossible to stop the tears. And when his Dad talked about his best mate.

Tears for his family and friends mixed, I guess, with tears of hope that his work and dreams and commitment will continue.

The shots of him risking his life were even more poignant knowing the freak way he died at such a young age. Shots lightened by his self-deprecating jokes and TV bloopers.

And in today’s celebration of his life we saw his much loved  animals  and his fascination with crocs. We heard from famous friends like Hugh Jackman and Kevin Costner and Russell Crowe. But it was his family and his Aussie fans and, Crikey, his  army of fans worldwide, that made today.

It wasn’t mawkish. It wasn’t maudlin. It was, like Steve Irwin himself, ‘true blue’.

As he said: ‘come with me, share with me, share my mission to save wildlife.’  It’s easy to say somebody will not be forgotten. Steve Irwin will not be. Neither will his cause or his passion or his devotion.

It was in the tear-stained faces of the kids who watched his croc truck being driven off for the last time with John Williamson singing ‘ hey, true, blue, don’t say that you are gone.  Just say you’ve knocked off for a smoko.’

Crikey, Steve Irwin was good. And crikey today made you proud to be an Australian.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

©Copyright Derryn Hinch 2006