Steve Irwin: Croc Hunter & Australia Zoo

Wealth Creator pays tribute to Steve Irwin, a man, who through passion and enthusiasm, brought awareness of environmental issues to the world and, in turn, built a thriving business.

Crikey! Steve Irwin was more than just a Wildlife Warrior, he was an astute businessman, a man whose infectious enthusiasm brought thousands of people daily to Australia Zoo in North Queensland. Yet his enthusiasm was just one piece of a puzzle that clicked into place in building the Irwin Empire.

Irwin himself was far from enigmatic. There was nothing puzzling about the man at all; he wore his heart on his sleeve, his compassion, excitement, love for family and wildlife was laid bare for all to see. Interestingly, actor Kevin Costner said it best, when he paid this tribute. “Irwin put himself ‘out there’ for everyone to see. He was fearless. He let us see who he was. That is being brave in today’s society.”

That courage would come back to hurt him occasionally. Germaine Greer threw her own untimely criticisms into the equation, questioning his intent and his ‘Australian way’, and there was the media condemnation of his handling of baby Bob in a crocodile pen.

However, of all the interviews he ever did, of all the television shows he appeared on and documentaries he made, there is no evidence to the contrary that Steve Irwin was the genuine article. There was no hidden agenda, his mission was to present wildlife in all its glory – and horror – to the world eye; his mission was to educate so that people would learn to preserve the natural habitat, not destroy it.
It is why Australia Zoo was a very different zoo, an interactive zoo that gave people the opportunity to appreciate animals by observing them as more than just
an exhibit behind a cage or fence.

The success of Australia Zoo is due to the marriage of all elements that have shaped Irwin’s life: his love for wildlife, his love for family (Terri, Bindi and Bob, have become crucial members and drivers of the Irwin family success), his passion, enthusiasm and his entrepreneurial flair.

A brand apart

There has been much thought gone into the growth and branding of the Irwin empire, from the khaki uniform
to the authenticity of his Australian persona, to the language and catchphrase that became a major part of
the Australian vernacular, to the growth of daughter Bindi as the heir apparent. Thomas Murrell, publisher of e-zine Media Motivators, lists ten reasons why the brand outgrew the man.

First on Murrell’s list is Visibility: Irwin and John Stainton (Irwin’s confidante and manager) hit the US markets straight away through the Discovery Channel and the Animal Planet Channel, which is why the Americans love him is as much as his own countrymen. Secondly, is what Murrell refers to as a Multi-Channel Platform, meaning the brand transcended television into books, magazines, merchandise, media and personal presentations at Australia Zoo. Third on the list is Authenticity. There is no doubting Irwin’s genuine character and passion for what he did. Which leads to point four: Drive, Passion, Energy and Enthusiasm. “If you want to become a zoologist you’ve got to do all the tertiary education, but don’t lose your passion or enthusiasm despite the hard work or homework you have to do.”

Just follow through. Passion and enthusiasm will get you everywhere you want to go in the world. The cause is next on the list and Irwin’s cause is much documented. Point of Difference follows and ties in with the above-mentioned items. It seems the world over loves the Australian larrikin archetype and Irwin didn’t play this, he was this. He was also consistent in presenting his image, he was controversial and finally he was a well-known family man. All these points add up to a multi-million dollar business.

Though ever reluctant to give out figures, there have been estimates as to how much his branding has earned him. BRW estimated his annual earnings to be at AU$16 million a year in 2002, his programs were seen by more than 500 viewers in 130 countries, his movie Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course took US$33 million ($AU43.9m) in box office. This year his takings dropped to an estimated AU$4.2 million, however this does not include the earnings of Australia Zoo.

If you spoke to Irwin he would have told you his life was not about the money, but about the animals and conservation. His documentaries may have made him a millionaire, but the important thing was to get the message out, loud and clear. And he did. Upon his death more than half a million dollars were pledged to Irwin’s charity, and Wildlife Warriors were expecting nearly a million dollars in donations.

Irwin would be proud that so much money is going to the cause. He was not one to horde his money, what he made went straight back into his passion and his cause. With his wife he bought large parcels of land in Vanuatu, Fiji, the United States and devoted them to animal habitats. He did the same in Australia, buying up 83,000 acres of land in Southwest Queensland to protect endangered koalas and pythons. Head of Wildlife Warriors Michael Hornby said after the death, “There was a lot of land clearing, and he wanted to prevent more of it from happening. He has kept it untouched, off limits to developers, and also uses the site for the release of some native animals into the wild.”

Irwin wasn’t one to sit on his hands, like most successful people he found solutions. Said Hornby, “He was always so active, and all over the place, but he was actually very focused in what he believed in, and knew how to get things done … When he got his sights set on something he was very action-oriented. He’d say ‘why sit around, let’s fix it’.”

Who’s who in the zoo

The zoo, that Irwin’s parents built, didn’t need fixing, but it did need a makeover and with the Crocodile Hunter’s distinctive touch it went from a small outback zoo to heavily accommodating and promoting Australia’s export market. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade last year reported that exports accounted for more than 75% of the zoo’s earnings. The department also reported that in 2003, international numbers to the zoo increased by 15% – that number continues to rise. To support the increase in tourism Irwin had planned to invest $40 million over the next ten years into the zoo’s infrastructure.

Australia Zoo, known as Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park early in the piece, was started by his mother Lyn and dad Bob in the 1960s. Lyn was widely regarded as a pioneer in the field of wildlife rehabilitation. “My mum was the Mother Teresa of wildlife rehabilitation. Our house was a giant maternity ward fair smack in the middle of Beerwah Reptile Park.”

Bob Senior was a herpetologist (studies and provides information about reptiles and amphibians). In 1971, by the age of nine, Bob had taken Steve out into the field, where Steve jumped his first freshwater crocodile. In the 1980s, Steve spent a great part of the decade relocating rogue crocodiles for the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Crocodiles that couldn’t be relocated were housed in Beerwah Reptile Park, which Steve and Bob built, specifically for that purpose.  “My family felt that our participation in the croc management program was the best way to protect the crocs from humans. Our aim was to catch and relocate them before they made the mistake of showing themselves around populated areas.”

The Park grew steadily and every cent was ploughed back into conservation. Having outgrown its name, the Park was re-branded Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park. The Irwin family then bought another four acres on top of their original four acres and expanded.

Steve took over the zoo in 1992, the same year he married Terri, and proved a great leader. Terri, herself, had been introduced to wildlife early on in her childhood. Her father would bring injured animals home, which led her to her love of wildlife. However, there is more to Terri than just conservation. Her family ran a construction business and by the time she was 20 (1984), she owned her own home and ran the family business. Two years later she established a wildlife rehabilitation facility called ‘Cougar Country’ and soon she was caring for more than 300 animals a year. She had also taken on work at a vet clinic.

“I was running the family business while working nights, weekends and holidays at the vet,” she says. “All that combined with my rehabilitation facility, meant very little sleep.”

It seemed Steve and Terri had a great deal in common. There was a six-month courtship and they spent their honeymoon filming their first wildlife documentary. The combination of passion and business acumen worked well. Steve was becoming renowned for his crocodile demonstrations, and tourism was growing at a rate of knots. It meant Steve and Terri had to buy the next-door neighbour’s avocado farm to build a car park.

The growth of the park coincided with Steve’s on-camera fame, and with the rise in fame came the second re-brand, with, in 1998, the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park becoming Australia Zoo.

Today, the zoo hosts over 400 staff working in over 34 departments and has won numerous awards including the Sunshine Coast’s Macro-Business award in 2004, a high achiever award and was named Australia’s major tourist attraction for 2003-’04. Steve was also named Tourism Export of the Year in 2004.

Indeed he was an export icon; the presence the Government needed for other countries to take notice of Australia. Only then could they realise that Australia is also a manufacturing and trade paradise.

Giving back

There is no fear the business will disintegrate now that Irwin has departed. Terri will continue to run the zoo and daughter Bindi seems to share the same passion for wildlife as her father did. The legacy will continue long into the next generation and no doubt beyond, and the zoo will continue to support the very foundations that it helped to make extremely famous.

Through the success of the zoo and the success of his documentaries and television fame, Irwin was able to give as much as he received (though no doubt he would have found a non-financial way) to support his causes.   

Wildlife Warriors was founded as a family charity in 2002 and became a public charity in April 2006. Bindi had raised $275 for Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, which inspired Federal Minister Mal Brough to push for an extra $2 million to the cause. Steve himself handed a cheque to the warriors  for $1 million on behalf of the zoo. The Irwins have also supported SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), the Adopt an Animal program, The Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation, Tiger Conservation and cystic fibrosis.

Money is secondary for the Irwins; it has provided them with a means to support their causes and to educate the world about the importance of conservation. The money has come in no small part to Terri and Steve’s passion and good business sense, as well as their never-say-never attitude, which all good entrepreneurs should possess.

Steve Irwin was a man of courage, and it is that courage and fearlessness that will be sorely missed in Australian business and wildlife.