Independent Media Centre Ireland     http://www.indymedia.ie

Crocodile man Steve Irwin is dead - 1962-2006 RIP

category international | environment | news report author Monday September 04, 2006 15:19author by cool j

The tragic news of Steve Irwin's death while filming on the Barrier reef off NE Autralia broke earlier today - His passing is a great loss to the world-wide conservation movement!!!

The Croc-man died after being stung through the heart by a sting-wray in a tragic freak accident on the Great-barrier reef. His death has sent shock waves throughout the world with mass outpourings of grief including David Bellamy who broke down while being interviewed for the BBC news. Probably one of the most famous Australians ever, he did more than anyone to energise people' interest and concern about wildlife of all types and the many threats to its survival world-wide. This loss will be particuary devasting to his wife who was an integral part of the whole Crocodile man experiance and their two young children. Steve was only 44 years old and would have probably scaled even greater heights in the years to come what with even more great wildlife programmes and an ambitious expansion of his own zoo which did great work in boosting populations of many threatened species. A sad and depressing day indeed for all those who care about our living planet - Steve Irwin RIP

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author by cool jpublication date Mon Sep 04, 2006 15:28author address author phone

Maybe some of our Australian friends(Robyn et al) on here could shed some more light on the exact circumstances of Steve's death, funereal arrangements etc, - Thanx !

author by notsurprisedpublication date Mon Sep 04, 2006 15:50author address author phone

What surprised me was the member of his production crew who said "We never expected this to happen".
The reality is that dying from the bite or sting of some "wild" creature was always a lot more likely than him being knocked down by a car. After all he spent a considerable amount of time running after frightened venom-producing creatures, grabbing them by the tail while simultaneously gabbling away to the camera. All the poor creatures could assume was that they were about to be eaten by this huge monster which made threatening noises. If it was me I would have stung him too.

author by rippublication date Mon Sep 04, 2006 16:13author address author phone

he also increased the populations of some of the most endangered species on the planet today through his zoo, and campaigned for enviornmentalists in Australia, and made the world a whole lot more aware of reptiles

author by Roger Cpublication date Mon Sep 04, 2006 17:03author address author phone

You shone like a "Crazy Diamond". Now there is one more star in heaven.
With all my sympathy to his family and friends.

author by Ciaronpublication date Mon Sep 04, 2006 17:27author address author phone

Shocking news. Steve Irwin's thang is located just north of Brisbane where I'm from. He died on the Barrie Reef. I cannot recall hearing of anyone dying that way before.

He rose to prominence while I've been away most of thelast 15 years. i only heard good things about him on my brief returns and dug his enthusiasm. He had a better than average relationship with indigeneous folks, in a country whose white population's racism to aborigines is driven by a suppressed guilt for stealing it in the first place. His love for the Australian environment, flora, fauna will be sorely missed in a nation that has environementally trashed itself in a short 200 years (altho I must say Aussies have a better attitude to not littering than I've seen in Ireland)..comapred to the tens of thousands of years of aboriginal occupation.

the link is an earlier report from this morning to the manner of his death......

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060904/ap_on_en_tv/obit_irwin

Related Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060904/ap_on_en_tv/obit_irwin
author by OZpublication date Mon Sep 04, 2006 17:33author address author phone

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060904/en_afp/australiape...25808

author by Barrypublication date Mon Sep 04, 2006 17:43author address author phone

The world is much the worse off for this untimely loss of a great entertainer whose enthusiasm for his passion in life was both infectious and quite informative . Meanwhile the utter dross which makes up for most of our television viewing carries on safe and sound , mainly as a result of being a useless pile of utter oxygen thieves who contribute absolutely nothing whatsoever to the worlds existence , therefore never remotely encountering a seconds danger .
He died doing what he loved best though , which again is a tribute to the man and all he worked for .

RIP stevo

author by guardian iosafpublication date Mon Sep 04, 2006 19:17author address author phone

[..."His only fall from favour came in 2004 when he was shown on television carrying his infant son Robert in one arm while feeding a chicken carcass to a crocodile with the other. Child welfare groups accused him of endangering the child's life, but he insisted the boy was never in danger because he had control of the situation.

Irwin acknowledged that some fellow Australians cringed when they saw him. "They actually see a little bit of themselves when they see me and they find that a little embarrassing," he said.

"I'm fair dinkum, like kangaroos, winged keels and bloody flies," he added. "I think I've got animals so genetically inside me that there's no way I could actually be anything else."

It was a bitter irony that he died stung by a stingray, a usually passive sea creature which attacks only if threatened. "]

Today flowers have been left at the zoo he ran with his family in Queensland. Contemporary to his career australian reptiles went from the threat of wholescale illegal poaching & hunting to a group of species "in recovery". So much so that an Austrialian legal skin & meat industry has emerged which now equals the production and suspected profit margins of the previous "illegal trade". Not without debate amongst animal rights activists & ethicists. Only 20 years ago, crocodile meat was impounded by the irish authorities at a Dublin restaurant. Now you can order it over the internet. & tasty recipes abound. Croc meat is bit like a humungous frog's leg. Treat it the same way, deep fat fryer some sweet & sour sauce - you'll be pleased.

Every death is tragic. But only some approach irony.
RIP

Related Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/australia/story/0,,1864565,00.html
author by OZpublication date Mon Sep 04, 2006 23:28author address author phone

http://sydney.indymedia.org/node/38602

Related Link: http://sydney.indymedia.org/node/38602
author by Robynpublication date Tue Sep 05, 2006 01:58author address Australiaauthor phone

Steve Irwin was actually more famous overseas than he was in his own country, Australia. I first heard of him in a chatroom when an American asked me how he was going - I said - who???

I do think that Steve did great things to raise awareness about saving wildlife, but it must be said that he also took some silly risks.

Apparently what he was doing when he was killed was normal practice for filming underwater. He was filming a documentary off the coast of Cairns, Queensland. Swimming slightly above the stingray, when it became frightened, and instead of swimming away like they almost always do, it flicked up the barb on its tail and it stabbed Steve in the heart. Death would have been almost instantaneous. Film footage has been handed to the police. The really tragic thing was his young daughter was swimming with him, I really feel for her. His mate on the boat at the time was interviewed on TV and he was understandably very upset.

I'm told that the coroner will report today, and his body will be flown back to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. The State Premier of Queensland is working with his family and friends to honour Steve's work as an Ambassador of Australia with an appropriate funeral.

I learned today that he funded a large hospital for native wildlife in honour of his late mother. Let's hope his friends and family can keep the good work going. People are being offered the chance to donate to his charity in his memory, which I believe is called Wildlife Warriors.

Robyn

author by Roopublication date Tue Sep 05, 2006 03:53author address author phone

At least it wasnt a Croc that got him.....

author by OZ anarchpublication date Tue Sep 05, 2006 09:25author address author phone

Like his mother, who died in a car crash, he died suddenly. His father ( a plumber who moved up from Melbourne and started the initial wildlife park where Steve grew up) was in poor health. Always tough when your child dies before you.

Not that I'm into state funerals or state anything...but if the same present Premier (Beattie) who gave former Premier Bjelke Petersen (who dedicated his career to the OZ white boy ethic of "it moves shoot, if it doesn't chop it down" and threw a lot of us in custody mere fo free speech), got state funeral....you gotta wonder! A better tribute to Steve's memory would be for the Beattie government to reverse it's anti-environement, mega dam, tree-coppin policies and tread a little lighter on a very vunerable environment.

Steve irwin was doing what he had been doing since a kid -getting intimate with OZ flora and fauna -when he was "discovered". You can bet alot of exec types made a lot more money out of transforming him in to a commodity to wow the U.S. audiences than Steve made from the work he did. You can also bet the same execs didn't spend a lot of that money -as Steve did - buying up tracts of land in OZ and O.S. to preserve as wildlife sanctuaries.

Undersatndably the co-option at this time by pollies trying to capitalise on the death and mass sentiment is sickening. I also think some of the cynicism circulating on melbourne indy is a sad reflection from resentful folks with little to offer. People really do confuse being rebellious with being contrary. Booth reactions are different sides of the same coin.

author by Spiritual Moonpublication date Tue Sep 05, 2006 10:25author address author phone

The television show "Crocodile hunter" was old to TV stations around the world.
Steve Irwin was a exibitionist in a selfish quest for adulation and fame.
He even starred in a Hollywood movie for godsake.
His career (he had a career!) was focused on marketting adventure tourism as so-called conservation - which draws ignorant fattened slaves of capitalism to trample through precious ecosystem snapping pictures at terrified animals and scattering their rubbish everywhere.
Thankfully human beings will soon die out as a species and the wounded planet will return to its rightful state of nature.

author by OZpublication date Tue Sep 05, 2006 12:59author address author phone

"Spiritual Moon", my hunch is that there are a few class issues lurking behind your lack of grace at the time of someone's son, father and parent dying. My hunch is that you didn't like the guy because he wore shorts, big boots, was enthusiastic (lacked that english middle class cool that you maybe aping), loud and was of the working class.

The death was due to the stingray puncturing his heart. He attempted to withdraw the serrated spike and died suddenly. There are only 3 other cases of this happening in Australia and 15 worldwide. More info on death see link.....

Related Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060905/ap_on_en_tv/obit_irwin
author by cool jpublication date Tue Sep 05, 2006 13:07author address author phone

I think a fitting tribute to Steve would be to name a new national park after him. The Steve Irwin NP could be located somewhere like Tasmania where the state government and big business seem determined to wipe out every last bit of the islands unique temperate rain forest!! - I think such a move would be marvellious for conseravtion and keep his spirit alive!!

PS - Thanx Robyn for the Aussie view of things! - The fact that his young child witnessed the whole thing makes it even more tragic - The poor thing could be scarred for life by such an experiance.

PS - I can't beleive the attitude towards the man by some on here - Yes he had a career and made good money - but don't forget unlike phonies such as Bono or Geldof he ploughed most of it back into buying up large tracts of threatened rainforest and doing great work for endangered species with his zoo!!

author by eco joepublication date Tue Sep 05, 2006 14:51author address author phone

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Irwin

702pxsteve_irwin.jpg

author by Starstruck - (A)publication date Tue Sep 05, 2006 20:00author address author phone

Steve Irwin was a good man and a vibrant addition to Australian and global society.
So fucking what if corporate execs took advantage of his talents-I challenge anyone who thinks they are immune from the tentacles of capitalism.
I was lucky enough to see him in person,he was a gentleman and a lover of mother nature.
Good luck Steve old boy,you gave me a great laugh and educated me too.
Peace

Steve in action when I was lucky enough to be there
Steve in action when I was lucky enough to be there

April 2005
April 2005

author by OZpublication date Tue Sep 05, 2006 21:19author address author phone

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s960998.htm

Related Link: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s960998.htm
author by Sylvia Mashawpublication date Tue Sep 05, 2006 22:37author email smashaw123 at comcast dot netauthor address author phone

I have brought my three sons up to respect and love all creatures just as Steve has done for millions. It so sad to loose a Master in the Animal World. He will be surely missed forever. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family.

author by Brentpublication date Wed Sep 06, 2006 08:05author address author phone

It is not ironic the way he died.

author by Concerned Citizen - nonepublication date Wed Sep 06, 2006 12:03author address author phone

THE WORLD NEEDS MORE STEVEN IRWEN'S!

For once here was someone who wasn't afraid to speak his mind and was passionate about his cause.

YES you may criticise him, say he made money from the media,but who doe'snt, be truthful, who honestly would turn away from that, very few I suspect. Nobody can doubt Steve's passion and commitment.

These animal rights people, are totally NUTS, if it offends them to look at Steve's programs, why did they watch them? TWISTED LOGIC!

My deepest sympathy to his family and friends, I was shocked to hear of his death, poor consulation I know but ,at least take comfort from the fact that he died doing something he loved. I will greatly miss him and his informative programs which brought the heart of Australian wildlife into all of our living rooms.

STEVE IRWIN R.I.P

author by needs youpublication date Wed Sep 06, 2006 16:31author address author phone

put your money where your mouths are please

Related Link: http://www.wildlifewarriors.org.au/
author by Davepublication date Wed Sep 06, 2006 19:42author address author phone

The serial whingers are at it again. They'll whinge and bitch about anything at all just to have something to fill their lives.

Steve Irwin, whatever temporary stress he caused to a handful of animals (I don't think snakes and crocodiles get stressed like mammals get stressed either), did more for conservation and the environment than any of us ever will. He put serious money into many conservation projects across the globe, yes he was filthy rich but from all accounts he was working 24/7 doing what he loved and it enabled him to put tens of millions into his projects.

Do you think kids will watch Planet Earth and be amazed? No...but you can be damn sure they could relate to Steve Irwin dancing around like a lunatic and talking like he did about the animals he came across.

It's a pity such a unique and hugely entertaining individual like him who did a lot for conservation has died so young.

Ignore what some bitter whinger said in the Guardian (who also got some basic facts wrong).

RIP Steve Irwin.

author by Lizzo - Myorgpublication date Wed Sep 06, 2006 20:02author address author phone

I Loved everything about him and Im shedding a few tears for what we've lost. So very sorry for his family and close friends. - peace

author by iosafpublication date Wed Sep 06, 2006 20:58author address author phone

Or what he stood for. I am vindicated by the most famous real Australian woman feminist celebrity ever.

The Ozzie telegraph calls her a "harridan"
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/opinion/story/0,2....html
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/rudd-joins-choru....html
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1051461

In the count-down to the 5th anniversary of 911, it really is quite something that blog spaces, news spaces as different as indymedia ireland and Fox News have counted more comments (many in the case of FoxNews deleted from their site) about Mr Irwin & his ironic tragic death after being stung my a relatively harmless stingray. It's prompted a special news program on Fox TV today asking what do we stand for? My girlfriend asked why I ket singing the tune to "stingray" the popular puppet telly series of our youth which pits the beautiful & speechless Marina against the evil reptilian Titan empire with only a highly trained and motivated USbased emergency response team to help. I told the beloved that
the ozzie crocodile man had been killed by a animal that only attacks when provoked. well no surprise there, he went around provoking wild animals all the time.

Thus the television company he was working with when the stingray turned on him "freakishly" has agreed to release the final video footage. We'll hear about it tomorrow along with the story of the 18 year old austrian girl who didn't get out of the reality show for ten years.

what do we stand for?

he lived as an alpha male & died as one. stung by a normally harmless creature.
he lived as an alpha male & died as one. stung by a normally harmless creature.

author by danapublication date Wed Sep 06, 2006 21:45author address author phone

I'm from Romania,and i just wanted to say that i really aprieciated steve's shows and his person.I'm praing for his familly

author by henricpublication date Wed Sep 06, 2006 22:16author address author phone

remember steve irwin

sign the guestbook at
http://www.remembersteve.com/

Related Link: http://www.remembersteve.com/
author by A10publication date Thu Sep 07, 2006 01:06author address author phone

"CRIKEY"!!!!!!!!!
In all fairness to the guy he was brilliant,but lived it close to the edge.Sooner or later somthing poisionous,toothed,or otherwise was going to do him.
He had lost one thing important when dealing with such critters,mutual respect.

author by Sheepstealerpublication date Thu Sep 07, 2006 03:00author address author phone

I was saddened on hearing the untimely death of 'crocodile man' Steve.

I watched his tv shows several times, although I couldn't stand his accent and annoying mannerisms but, apart from that, he was a talented individual in his field and I stood in awe at his extreme enthusiasm. Unfortunately, I suspected some day some animal would find him annoying also, although I never thought he'd die at the hands of a floppy seemingly serene sea creature like a stingray, but you never can tell what any animal is going to do.

The mosting fitting way to describe my reaction on hearing the way he died was, 'crikey'!

God bless you Steve.

author by PaddyKpublication date Thu Sep 07, 2006 03:18author address author phone

I agree with the above sentiment : Steve Irwin was a pleasantly irritating wildlife genius.

But I take issue with the previous post in one aspect:

"I never thought he'd die at the hands of a floppy seemingly serene sea creature like a stingray, but you never can tell what any animal is going to do."

What name do you have to give a massive, bottom dwelling, cold blooded fish with an eight foot spiked , barbed stinging tail before one should decide to give it a wide berth.

RIP Croc Hunter.

Next life, stick to the crocs.

author by ribbidpublication date Thu Sep 07, 2006 22:38author address author phone

you really learn a lot about anglosaxon culture when your local telly is dubbed. I could never get over the bourgoise type (one of only 8 men) who got the job of dubbing the Crocman into the local language which with only 10 million speakers & too many vowel sounds is considered a "minority tongue". The poor man had been used to dubbing David Attenborough all his life. Nice, relaxed, non-provocative near whispers as the feral and wild animals continue shagging in the background - loads of "now if we approach the sting ray really quietly it won't be startled............lovely plummage............."

Crocman was something else. He didn't call for the hushed tones of the scientist at work - he needed nay demanded the testosterone shreaking of a character from a gangster movie. more than once I and the beloved fell off our sofa watching Steve Irwin (yet again) wrestle with some scary animal after provoking it and hearing the dubbing voice over calmly say "got you now you little fellah, gosh you're putting up a pretty fight you rascal". In the end it was one of the few anglo-saxon world programes I never chose to use the original language option on.

maybe it's just catalan tv. Perhaps redjade could tell us if they voiced over him the same way in Hungary - or eoin could tell us if French TV even granted him space.

anyway RIP.
we won't see his like again. next time it will have to be even more extreme.-

author by Jimmypublication date Sun Sep 10, 2006 18:03author address author phone

Ciaron,

What I don't understand about your comments is the fact you seem to purposely put in their something on the topic of Aboriginals. Why? Steve Irwin didn't have any better or worse relationship with aboriginals than the majority of Australia. Seems to me your a bit out of touch. Really, an irrelevant comment on your behalf. Racism in Australia toward Aboriginals is not the issue here, STEVE IRWIN DIED. Leave your unfounded theories on Australias attitude toward Aborignals at the door, Its not needed.

Anyway, Steve will be missed and contrary to what some people on here say, Australians loved him, typical working class Australians, toff nosed upper class types cringed at him because they felt it cramped their style so they dismissed him as the genuine article. RIP STEVO.

author by C. Fitzgerald - Co.kerry publication date Sun Sep 10, 2006 23:13author address author phone

i am a HUGE fan of steve and i watch him on telly all the time i wish i was old enof to have flew to australia and see him i always wanted to see him hopfully one day i can fly to austraia and carry on from were he left off i dont no wat to say to his family only i no wat u are felling because my dad left too and there not alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

author by Ciaronpublication date Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:06author address author phone

This is what was told to me by an aboriginal elder woman from my neighbourhood when I was home last. That is my only source. It was also mentioned that he gave general discounts to charities and poorer groups to visit the park.

Most white Australians have a hostile attitude the environment and aboriginal people, it wouldn't be difficult to have a better than average attitude. There is little white peasant spiritituality (like the best of Europeon) in Australia, the environment is to be battled against, defeated, controlled and conquered. read "Tree of Man" Patrick White for a good fictional account. Read "The Fatal Shore" by Robert Hughes as a good accesible historic account.

I will check my sources when I return home in a couple of weeks for the pine Gap trial www.pinegap6.org

Related Link: http://www.pinegap6.org
author by holier than thoupublication date Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:13author address author phone

Most white Australians have a hostile attitude the environment and aboriginal people

Stay in Ireland if thats your attitude m8!

author by Ciaronpublication date Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:26author address Dublin, Irelandauthor phone

Dunno m8 seem to be wearing out my welcome here with the State. Be home soon, although the ASIO boyz were little freaked on my last arrival.

Read "Waltzing Materialism", check out how white Australians have come close to complete detroying the fragile environment in 200 short years after the indigeneous were doing fine for 20,000.

The racist relationship with the indigeneous is dominated by suppressed white guilt that we stole the palce, raped killed and plundered and claimed that it was empty and "settled" not invaded.

The hostility to the environment is that we tried to impose Europe on Australia, we had the attitude their was nothing to learn. Remember those roast Christmas dinners in the height of humid Brisbane. The schoolt tes in the subtropics, the compulsory high school French lessons (tranplanted form England, next door to France) when we had no French community to practise on etc etc etc Pretty clueless, pretty weird, pretty hostile....

author by Jimmypublication date Mon Sep 11, 2006 16:20author address author phone

Ciaron i was trying to be as nice as possible before but now I will dispense with the niceties. Who are you to generalise the sentiments of an entire nation toward a group of people? Your comments are highly offensive.

Are you so righteous that you are the only one that can see that there is a problem therefore criticise every other Australian for views they do not have?

What factual basis is there for you to say that there is a guilt in Australia over aborigines?. I assure you, I have no guilt whatsoever and nor should I (noone i know for that matter either).

Enlighten me to the "rape" that occured (according to you) solely aimed at aboriginals (apart from the rape inflicted on white Anglo celtic women) and any statistical evidence of this and also, where and what was "plundered"?.

Whilst their was racism at the beginning on behalf of the British. Australia has moved forward, yet people like you, i.e people who no longer live here, feel it necessary to categorise and generalise in a negative fashion a nation of people they are so obviously out of touch with.

Please, keep your opinions on Aboriginals and the environment to yourself and do not attempt to generalise the feelings and attitudes of a nation of people into line with those that you believe to be true. Your holier than thou attitude is quite simply wrong and missguided to say the least. Steve Irwin DID have a good relationship with aborigines as do the majority of down to earth working class Australians in regional areas. But this isn's why he was universally loved and admired, something that still confuses me about your comments. He was liked because of his conservationist message, his love of life and his Aussie larrikinness. I didn't know a good relationship with the Aborignal population was a prerequisite for being a good man? Again RIP STEVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please do not return to Australia.

author by Jimypublication date Mon Sep 11, 2006 16:44author address author phone

"The television show "Crocodile hunter" was old to TV stations around the world.
Steve Irwin was a exibitionist in a selfish quest for adulation and fame.
He even starred in a Hollywood movie for godsake.
His career (he had a career!) was focused on marketting adventure tourism as so-called conservation - which draws ignorant fattened slaves of capitalism to trample through precious ecosystem snapping pictures at terrified animals and scattering their rubbish everywhere.
Thankfully human beings will soon die out as a species and the wounded planet will return to its rightful state of nature"

Unfortunately for you Spiritual Moon your vicious, venomous words have no factual basis. Steve Irwin contrary to popular belief, did not utilise his monetary gain in order to, buy a bigger home (he lived in a small red brick home his father built on the grounds of the zoo), by a fancy car or any of the other trappings of wealth. 99% of his money was reinvested into, conservation projects, Australia Zoo Hospital, buying up huge tracts of land to remain undeveloped. Also, numerous conservation charities were single handedly funded by him each year.

Also, Steve Irwin never promoted irresponsible adventure tourism. The only tourism he promoted was tourism that promoted viewing the animals versus the shooting and hunting of animals, i.e eco-tourism (where real conservationists come to a compromise) Something which i am assured the tourism companies operate responsibly (i.e no rubish left behind)

His "hollywood movie" funded his Australia zoo expansion (animal hospital). Also, Steve Irwin's fame was a slef admitted vehicle of his to push his message to tha masses, something which I don't see someone such as yourself doing.

You see, conservationists who don't like Steve Irwin, do not like him because they see his methods as wrong or over the top, however the point to be put to them is, Steve Irwin did more for the environment than anyone and actually made the amounts of money needed to put words into action. He selflessly exploited himself and his privacy in order to extract a maximum net benefit for the environment. Something this man greatly achieved. The difference between those know-all "conservationists" who dislike steve and those who do? Steve Irwin was a man of action and his word, the rest just talk, debate and whinge.

Spiritual Moon, on behalf of everyone on here who adored Stevo i say to you, when the humans of this world are near extinction I know we will have you to rely on to be our "conservationist", you "speaker of the truth". Fuck off.

author by little old mepublication date Mon Sep 11, 2006 19:32author address author phone

I am actually amazed to see the levels of agression being directed from one poster to another here! My own impression of Steve is that he was a good guy, although I am far from an expert on they way he ran his tourism, how much money he invested in conservation or what his relationship was with the aboriginal population. I liked Steve quite simply because his love for the animals he dealt with was obvious in the way he spoke of them and became excited when in contact with them. True, I don't agree with annoying wild animals in or out of their natural habitat, but I do feel he did more good than bad overall.

That aside, I feel obliged to "stick up" for Ciaron here, on the issue of the treatment of aboriginals. Having had many Ozzie friends over the years, and having delved into the aboriginal "problem" to a small extent during my studies on colonialism and it's legacy, I fear that it is a sad fact that this group of people are most certainly discriminated against to a very large extent today. One friend told me of bars which banned entrance to anyone wearing flip-flops simply to keep out the aboriginals who, in this particular area, are too poor to afford anything else. Historically of course, the colonial powers tried to wipe them out entirely - watch "Rabbit proof Fence" if you don't fancy a book on the subject. This is not to say, of course, that all white people there are racist, but it does point to a society which has a long way to go in order to approach any semblance of equality for all of its citizens.

author by Jimmypublication date Mon Sep 11, 2006 21:05author address author phone

"little old me", What you must realise is that the "stories" you have been told are the conclusions that the people telling them have come to on their own. Not allowing thongs or Singlets in a Pub is common throughout regional Australia and is not meant for the reasons stated. I, and many others can attest to this as it is not just the Aboriginals who are refused service under these circumstances. It is known as Public Etiquette. The problem is, is that most of the "experts" on the treatment of Aboriginals, either do not live in Australia, or live in Australia but have never lived nor visited a regional, remote area in their life for more than a couple of days. And when I mean remote I mean Mission country where Aboriginals outnumber whites 10 to 1. Racism does not enter the mind of a remote area dwelling white or Aboriginal until, Politicians (mainly Left wing nutjobs) present themselves on the scene. Aboriginals in, remote areas, are more immersed in their tribal rivalries and the day to day problems associated with teen suicide and petrol sniffing than the "White mans" constant bickering between each other about who's a racist and who is not.

A little advice, choose your words vey carefully when talking to an Australian about Aborigines, no Australian considers themself racist, (no more than anyone in Ireland anyway) and does not like to be told about how "bad" they have been to them. Most Australians refuse to take ownership of the sin as sin is something committed, it is not a birthright. Australia does its best to combat the growing problem faced by Aboriginals.

Anyway lets get back on topic, Steve Irwin was a LEGEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I had the fortune of meeting him once, In Alex Headland, Sunshine Coast, out the front of the Surf Club, he was getting out of the surf, I was getting in. I shook his hand and we had a little chat about the surf. So easy to talk to, like he knew you. Its unfortunate that he is gone

author by iosafpublication date Wed Sep 13, 2006 23:21author address author phone

PETA are the people who originated the so called naked protests which see young women (like Ireland's own Ms V.) strip to their undies (which is not really naked) & hanging out in public spaces.

Quite an achievement. PETA are also the people who are responsible for the no animal was harmed during the writing of this comment messages which end the credits on Hollywood movies and US TV shows which portray violence against humans. PETA are a serious group of people, they count some of the most sensitive, concerned, sincere & motivated actors of the Hollywood guild amongst their named supporters. I admit for some drug addled years holed in the squats of south London my most serious bad trips centred not on the plausibility of MI5 or the CIA breaking into my hovel & walking off with my hard drive but the real & worrying possibility that PETA might find out we hadn't afforded quality cat food for the moggie.

PETA's head honcho has surprised me somewhat by not shedding any tears for Croc Man :-
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14626178 “It comes as no shock at all that Steve Irwin should die provoking a dangerous animal,” PETA’s Dan Mathews tells The Scoop. “He made a career out of antagonizing frightened wild animals, which is a very dangerous message to send to kids.”

ah yes those messages we send the kids....
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=b...22681
http://www.guardian.co.uk/australia/story/0,,1871036,00....html
AS reported even in Irish press, Ozzies are taking out Steve Irwin's death on the Stingray population. Mutilated remains of the docile harmless creatures are turning up tail-less in "revenge killings".

But is the legacy all memorial & revenge? no. Croc man taught as well....

I kid you not - but last weekend (a holiday weekend as the 11th of September is Catalonia day, many Barcelona based families took to the adjacent mountains to enjoy a picnic. One such family whilst enjoying naming the fish in one of the ponds which dot the mountain natural park "Collserola" which is less than 20km from the city noticed what looked like a crocodile .

"Look that's a croc" said Daddy Catalan (probably in catalan "Mireu vosaltras hi ha una croc o potser un aligator") & then rather than just phone of the relevant authorities, the intrepid family decided to trap it themselves. Which rather amazingly they managed to do with a piece of rope with which they improvised a lassoo & and then wrapped up the creature in their daddy's T-shirt. ( I kid you not ). The animal which measures just short of one metre is now in a "reptilian rescue centre" where it will grow to its full length of just over 2 metres. It turns out it wasn't a crocodile at all, it was "caiman" which is the South American equivalent of an alligator. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caiman

here's a photo & there's a video to watch too!
http://www.antena3.com/a3noticias/servlet/Noticias?dest...17377

Oh yes. they did need medical attention afterwards.

RIP Mr Irwin. pity you weren't killed after provoking pigeons or grey squirrels, coz we could handle revenge killings of those things. But one thing is certain. Leave reptilian rescue to the experts.

author by Germaine Greer - Stingray Search and Rescue Internationalpublication date Thu Sep 14, 2006 00:15author address author phone

look at this little fella

CRIKEY !!
CRIKEY !!

author by Ciaronpublication date Thu Sep 14, 2006 00:22author address author phone

I must be it says so it my local rag here. Check link...
http://www.westender.com.au/stories.php?s_id=303

My opinions come from both my experience and research. I was born into an ethnically clensed Brisbane (formerlry Moreton Bay for the Irish slaves who built the place....and probably assasinated Governor Logan, even though the local aborigines got the blame!)

When I was 8 aborigines weren't citizens of Australia
When I was 13 it was still illegal to "cohabitat with a native" under the vagrancy act in my state.
It wasn't unti I was 17 that I ever recall speaking to an aborigine.
When I was 18 aborigines were only 2% of the state population, yet 33% of the male prison population and over 50% of the female prison population.
My mother only met an aborigine for the second time when she was in her 50's at the Catholic Worker house where my brother Sean and I were living and working. My mother worked at the equivalent of the Magdalene laundries and she had a close aboriginal friend there who was dropped off in infancy as a station owner fathered her and didn't want her around. This woman did not come in contact with the aboriginal community until late in life and became aq celebrated aboriginal artists.

But the segregation was so bad in the '60's and '70's it was rare to have interactions that's my point. That segregation only diminshed with the rise of aboriginal activism, the new left, the resistance to the racist Springbox tours etc etc etc It just didn't naturally evolve.

When I started to go to jail in my ealry 20's I got to hear a lot more from aboriginal people. I learned a lot about who I was as a white Australian.

Jimmy, OZ white boyz need all the help they can get to be human. We are deaf, dumb and blind to the reality of most people in the world...the poor. White boyz are born into a bubble, you gotta work your way out of that privilege to have any shot at being fully human. Remain in it, you maybe upwardly mobile but you'll end up living half a life.

I didn't choose to be born in OZ. i didn't rape or kill or thieve from aboriginal people...but all that was done before I was born. And like it or not - I (like you) benefited from it form the get go!.... the concept of original sin is very helpul here! Repentance means turning around and starting the journey back to being fully human, resisting the instituitons that have decimated aboriginal society and destroyed the OZ ecology. It ain' too late Jimmy, but it's getting pretty late.

As they say in AA, Denial ain't just a river in Egypt!

author by Concerned Citizen - Nonepublication date Sun Sep 17, 2006 13:55author address author phone


Iosaf, you seem to be full of hatred for everything on this living planet. I have to back Ciaron up totally on his statements about the aboriginal people and the inhumane treatment that they have recieved at the hands of the Australian Government. Having said this, I am not anti Australians or anyone else. Just anti injustice.

author by iosafpublication date Sun Sep 17, 2006 14:02author address author phone

My words on this page began with a comment (now hidden) that Croc man was "a gamekeeper not a poacher" and that his legacy was not "all good" & joked at what I then saw about to happen "the stingray phenomona".
Since then I've introduced & quoted similar words and attitude to his life's work & legacy from germaine Greer and the director of PETA (the largest animal rights organisation in the world).

I haven't expressed hatred for anyone or any living thing. I'v told you how a Barcelona family caught a caimon alligator in the park pond on September 11th 2006 with "daddy's t-shirt" & all in all did what at first I had intended - widen the debate

I hope Irwin rests in peace coz I hope everyone does. But I do not believe he served the cause of "being decent to animals". would you like another stingray illustration?

I suppose a dalek will remove the last comment & this one.
I knows the rules I do & I like reminding everyone of them.

author by Concerned Citizen - nonepublication date Sun Sep 17, 2006 15:04author address author phone

Ok! point taken, my apologies, realised its Jimmy I have an issue with, but what has Ms V, Grey Squirrels, Pigeons and Daleks got to do with Steve Irwins death? w'ere getting away from the main thread. Sounds like the talk of someone on a major drug fest.

Poor Steve, R.I.P

author by Tonypublication date Sun Sep 17, 2006 17:29author address author phone

Aboriginal is an adjective. If you mean aborigene, then say so. Better still, use the name of the national group - for example, Noongar, or Murri
Can't expect Irish people to be aware of these distinctions, but the Australians who post here have a responsibility to be aware

author by UnAustralianpublication date Sun Sep 17, 2006 19:41author address author phone

I seriously doubt if there is a sense of national aboriginality amongst the least colonised

Like the recent flag, and english grammar, it's a Euro construct imposed.
Is Murri recent slang or does it define a specific traditonal language group?

author by stingraypublication date Sun Sep 17, 2006 20:09author address author phone

Ive noticed if you click that stevo pic he swims very fast

author by Concerned Citizen - Nonepublication date Sun Sep 17, 2006 21:41author address author phone

Tony, " Aboriginal People " was the phrase I used. Aboriginal is the adjectival form. The word Aboriginal means ' first or earliest known' the original inhabitants of a country. Many diverse ethnic tribes Yamatji, Murri, Nunga etc etc.

Steve seems to have held them in high respect

Related Link: http://www.aboriginalaustralia.com
author by Tonypublication date Mon Sep 18, 2006 06:44author address author phone

I know you used the phrase "aboriginal people" The post I was referring to was
"Little ol me
author by Jimmypublication date Mon Sep 11, 2006 20:05"
In that post the author regularly refers to "the aboriginals"
The most politically conscious aborigines find it offensive to be called "aboriginals"
It's not as bad as the disgusting racist terms some people use (such as "boong"), but it's part of the insidious and genteel racism used in much of the media

author by pat cpublication date Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:06author address author phone

Its always good to know facts such as those. Its nots just being PC. Its ensuring that we dont unknowingly offend those who are fighting for their rights. Not least the right to be called by a name of their choosing.

author by UnAustralianpublication date Mon Sep 18, 2006 13:41author address author phone

"abo", "boong", "gin" are all abbreviations of aborigine.
Australians ternd to abbreviate. It's probably got something to do with the heat for the euro ones///biccies, sarvo. g'day. Just don't like big words.

I reckon all those terms would be regarded as derogatory by Aboriginal people.

White Australia is a lot more influenced by Aboriginal Australia than it likes to admit...accent, minimalism, tall poppy syndrome etc

author by Robyn - my own lunchboxpublication date Mon Sep 18, 2006 21:25author email peacefulwarriorprincess at yahoo dot com dot auauthor address Australiaauthor phone

Most Australians are ignorant of anything to do with Australian indigenous people.

I asked an indigenous person once about the A word - he said to be called Aborigine was not good, but Aboriginal Australian was OK. So as a noun it is bad, but adjective is OK.

Mind you, there used to be around 200 cultural groups, so no idea what all the other indigenous people think!

No idea what Steve Irwin's relationship was with the indigenous folks, or what they thought of him. I'm amazed by the outpouring of popular support and grief at his death. Its hard on the kiddies. Lets hope the good bits of him live on, with the conservation and animal hospitals, and the harrassment of native wildlife to provoke a scary response that looks good for the camera are left behind.

I'm going camping this weekend to meet with indigenous people for a cultural exchange of white fellas learning from black fellas, so I will ask them all about Steve if I get a chance.

cheers,
Robyn

author by Andypublication date Mon Oct 09, 2006 10:55author address author phone

I had the impression that there was no particular popular "outpouring of grief", that it was in fact largely media-orchestrated. Irwin was a close affiliate (and supporter of) John Howard and his disgusting agenda. One suspects that this is the main reason for the rather nauseating press homilies.

Why on earth is a wealthy white Australian (good God, another one) who was loud, brash and ignorant, who made an entertainment form of disturbing natural environments and provoking dangerous animals, deserving of all this praise and public mourning? Well for a start he really isn't, but I'm astounded that those who come here to share and analyze news stories are still so blinkered by the mainstream media that they accept its outpourings with so little critical awareness.

I'm with Greer on this one. The natural world got its revenge. Sad, but too bad.

author by larrakinpublication date Mon Oct 09, 2006 15:27author address author phone

Came across interesting article on media coverage following Steve Irwins untimely death. it argues that much of the media coverage is about promoting a certain version of "Australian identity" rather than anything else.

Exerpt:

"The very public mourning for Irwin by Howard, Beazley and the entire corporate-controlled media, and their vilification of even the slightest criticism, is a warning to all working people. A repressive climate, based on fear, intimidation and ignorance, is being established. In its resort to “Australian values” and by its invocation of a national identity, the political establishment aims to weaken and divide the working class and establish a cultural norm conducive to the requirements of the ruling elite, from which only enemies—deemed ‘un-Australian’—will deviate."

Read entire article at:

Related Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/oct2006/irwi-o07.shtml
author by redjadepublication date Fri Oct 27, 2006 19:58author address author phone

''The South Park episode called Hell On Earth 2006, which was broadcast in the US this week, shows Satan preparing to host a Hallowe'en fancy dress party.

Hundreds of dead celebrities are invited, including rapper Notorious B.I.G., Princess Diana and Hitler.

But at the party Satan receives complaints from his guests that someone is inappropriately dressed up as Irwin.

Satan confronts Irwin but the Aussie environmentalist protests it is really him, not a guest in a costume.
''

more at
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/...=1773

airwin271006_228x375.jpg

author by camperman - nonepublication date Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:14author email camaper66 at rocketmail dot comauthor address author phone

steve never wanted to hurt any animals just help them he could be a bit foolish at time but that was his choice he made up for that he has been bitten a few times but he still done his job and everyone loved him he souldnt have died.

we will all miss you steve
from camperman
xxx


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