Speakers

Bob Irwin

Company: Bob Irwin Wildlife Fund

Position: Conservationist

Bob Irwin lived his childhood in the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria, Australia, where his intense interest in wildlife and its environment occupied all of his spare time.  After originally pursuing a career as a plumber in Melbourne, Bob and his wife Lyn decided to uproot the family and follow their dream to sunny Queensland where they opened a Reptile and Fauna Park at Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast.

Bob's passion for reptiles grew with his ever expanding collection and he soon became involved with various venom labs, for which he would catch the snakes that were later milked for the production of life-saving anti-venom.  His love of crocodiles saw he and his son Steve secure contracts with the Environmental Protection Agency to catch and relocate crocodiles that were involved in human conflicts. With regular trips to Cape York during these years, Bob developed a love for the area that sees him returning regularly even these days.

Throughout his career, Bob has been involved in a number of scientific projects, including discovering a new species of freshwater turtle - the Elseya irwini, a rare turtle found only in the Burdekin River Basin - and a research project in Cape York catching and satellite tracking wild salt water crocodiles.  After handing the Zoo over to Steve and Terri in the early 90's, Bob and Lyn relocated to a new property dedicated to wildlife.  However following Lyn's tragic death in 2000, Bob moved to one of Australia Zoo's conservation properties, where he fulfilled the role of Manager.

In 2004 Bob remarried and he and his new wife Judy continued to manage Ironbark Station where they demonstrated that it is possible to effectively produce cattle without detrimentally affecting the environment or its wildlife.  On this property they also instituted a koala tracking program, in conjunction with the University of Queensland, to investigate the outcome of rehabilitated koalas following release.