THE WORLD'S GONE MAD: Steve Irwin memorial to be watched by millions worldwide tonight

Last Known Photo of Steve Irwin
Posted Sep 14th 2006 4:26PM by TMZ Staff
Filed under: TV

Below is the last photo taken of Steve Irwin before his tragic death last week. He is posing marine biologist Chris Jones on his boat, Croc 1, just two days before his death.

STEVE IRWIN'S FUNERAL CAN BE SEEN ON ANIMAL PLANET STATION AT 9:00 PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME . READ MORE BELOW.

Wednesday September 20, 06:10 AM
Steve Irwin memorial to be watched by millions worldwide

More than 300 million people worldwide are expected to pause today to remember conservation crusader, Steve Irwin.

Steve Irwin's public memorial will take place at Australia Zoo on Queensland's Sunshine Coast from 9:00am and will be telecast both throughout Australia and internationally.

A red carpet will be rolled out to welcome more than 1,000 invited guests and 3,000 people who secured free tickets.

The Prime Minister, John Howard, is expected to begin the hour-long proceedings which will be attended by the Queensland Premier, Peter Beattie, zoo staff and friends of the Irwin family.

Family friend, John Stainton, says while Terri Irwin and her eight-year-old daughter Bindi will make their first public appearance since Steve Irwin was killed by a stringray barb more than two weeks ago, they may be too upset to speak.

"I've left it as an open invitation to Terri, Steve's dad Bob and Bindi to say a few words," he said.

"So it's up to them."

The service will include a performance by singer John Williamson, but the identities of other celebrity guests and details about the order of events have not been confirmed.

Mr Stainton says it is the memory of the Crocodile Hunter, not the guest list, that is most important.

"I think I'd like to keep it as a simple ceremony that doesn't rely on the publicity of who's going to be there and attending and what tributes are being paid by which celebrities," he said.

Thousands expected at Steve Irwin's service
Updated Tue. Sep. 19 2006 4:22 PM ET

BEERWAH, Australia -- More than 5,000 people, including the prime minister, are expected to cram the "Crocoseum" at the Australia Zoo on Wednesday to say farewell to "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin at a memorial service.

Flags on the Sydney Harbor Bridge were to fly at half-staff, and giant television screens were set up in Irwin's home state of Queensland for people to watch the service.

Irwin, 44, was killed Sept. 4 when the barb from a stingray pierced his chest while he was filming a TV show about the Great Barrier Reef. His family held a private funeral service Sept. 9.

His death set off an outpouring of grief. Tens of thousands of people traveled to the zoo near Brisbane to drop off flowers and other mementoes, many of them signing Irwin-styled khaki shirts instead of a condolence book.

There has been a surge of donations to the Irwin-instituted charity Wildlife Warriors, and millions of people have visited his Web site to find out more about Irwin and his conservation efforts.

Irwin's widow, American-born Terri Irwin, was expected to make her first public appearance since his death at Wednesday's memorial service. The couple's daughter, Bindi, 8, and son Bob, 2, were expected to accompany their mother.

Prime Minister John Howard also was expected to attend the service, and country singer John Williamson planned to sing "True Blue," a song that Irwin loved.

John Stainton, Irwin's manager and close friend, said the service would be a celebration of the naturalist's life.

"There will be one seat alongside of the family for Steve because he loved the Crocoseum, he built it," Stainton said. "And his Australia Zoo cap that he always wore watching all the shows with his daughter will be on the seat."

Stainton said there would be visual tributes to Irwin, with some "memorable film clips" and "funny moments" from his television career. Actor Russell Crowe reportly be among those paying tribute by video.

"The one thing I hope everyone will take away from it is what a diverse character he was," Stainton said.

Animal Planet will air Irwin's memorial

BRISBANE, Australia - Animal Planet will televise the memorial service for "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin at 9 p.m. Tuesday from Irwin's Australia Zoo in Beerwah.

Nearly 3,000 grieving fans, including hundreds who camped out overnight, were rewarded Friday with tickets to the service, which were distributed Friday at three locations across Irwin's home state of Queensland. But the ticket supply ran out in only 15 minutes, leaving some who didn't get a ticket in tears.
Melissa Power, a 34-year-old beautician, was at the front of the line in the state capital, Brisbane, and had tears in her eyes when she finally got her ticket.
"It's unbelievable," she said. "I haven't slept and am so overemotional - I'm looking so forward to it."
The memorial will be held in the zoo's "Crocoseum" amphitheater. Irwin's widow, Terri, said he would have wanted the service held there. She and the couple's daughter, Bindi, 8, are to speak at the memorial.
Irwin was killed Sept. 4 when he was pierced in the chest by a stingray's barb while filming a new TV show off Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
His death prompted an outpouring of grief around the world and in Queensland, where tens of thousands of fans turned out to place flowers, candles and messages of support outside Australia Zoo.

Three of Australia's main television networks planned to carry the ceremony live and provide feeds to U.S. and international networks.

Update
Crocodile Hunter Irwin remembered at public memorial

Terri Irwin, wife of Australian environmentalist and television personality Steve Irwin with daughter Bindi and son Bob at a memorial service for her husband at Australia Zoo in Beerwah, Australia, on Wednesday.

The young daughter of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin paid tribute to her famous father Wednesday, calling him "my hero" at a public memorial in Australia.

Terri Irwin, wife of Australian environmentalist and television personality Steve Irwin with daughter Bindi and son Bob at a memorial service for her husband at Australia Zoo in Beerwah, Australia, on Wednesday. (Steve Holland/POOL/Associated Press) The memorial for the television host and conservationist took place in front of about 5,000 people at Australia Zoo near Landsborough, Queensland, and included tributes from Australian Prime Minister John Howard and actor Russell Crowe.

One seat was left empty in honour of the 44-year-old Irwin, who died Sept. 4 after a stingray attack while filming a television segment. The sudden death triggered an outpouring of grief for the man whose syndicated Crocodile Hunter series, shown on Discovery, had a reported audience of 200 million worldwide.

"I don't want daddy's passion to ever end," eight-year-old Bindi Irwin told the gathering at the zoo her father helped make famous. "I want to help endangered wildlife just like he did. I had the best daddy in the whole world and I will miss him every day.

"When I see a crocodile I will always think of him and I know that daddy made this zoo so that everyone could come and learn to love all the animals.

"Daddy made this place his whole life, now it's our turn to help daddy."

The young girl, like her mother, Teri, and two-year-old brother Bob, were all dressed in Irwin's trademark khaki outfit in their first public appearance since his death. The family held a private service on Sept. 9.

"We have lost a friend, a champion," Crowe said in a recorded message that began the ceremony. "It will take some time to adjust to that."

'Touched the hearts of millions'

Howard was the first to speak at the service and remembered Irwin for his love of his country and wildlife.

"Steve Irwin touched the hearts of Australians and touched the hearts of millions around the world in a very special way," said Howard.

"He did that because he had that quality of being genuine, of being authentic, of being unconditional and having a great zest for life."

Flags on the Sydney Harbour Bridge flew Wednesday at half-mast and giant television screens were set up in Irwin's home state of Queensland for people to watch the service.

Three of Australia's main television networks carried the hour-long ceremony, which was to be made available to U.S. and international networks and which family officials said could be watched by as many as 300 million people.

Some 3,000 free tickets to the memorial, entitled "He Changed our World," were snapped up in 15 minutes by his fans, many of whom camped out overnight to obtain them. Most of the remaining tickets were available to those who donated to Irwin's charity, Wildlife Warriors.

Teri Irwin thanked fans for their "overwhelming outpouring of love, support and prayers for my family" in a statement after the memorial was announced.

TRUE BLUE~STEVE'S FAVORITE SONG