Silke Jasso
Robert Irwin, the son of the beloved late TV personality and wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin, recently recreated an adorable childhood photo of himself with his father, sharing that he still regularly drives his father’s car.
Videos by Rare
At 19 years old, Robert has been passionately continuing his father’s legacy by co-managing the Australia Zoo with his mother Terri, sister Bindi, and brother-in-law Chandler. Steve tragically passed away at the age of 44 in 2006 due to a stingray barb injury to the heart, when Robert was just 2 years old and Bindi was 7 years old.
Robert shared a series of photos, with the first one showing him as a toddler sitting on his father’s lap in the driver’s seat of their “ute,” which is an Australian term for a car-like truck. The heartwarming image shows young Robert holding onto the steering wheel of the vehicle as Steve guides him.
Other photos show Robert recently driving the same car on his own, proudly displaying a red “P” sign, indicating that he has obtained his driver’s license. In the caption, Irwin expressed that his father’s car holds a special significance to him.
“My dad’s ute… it’s a special car,” he stated. “From early memories when Dad would park and let me pretend to drive, to more recently when I took my drivers test in it (and somehow managed not to stall it).”
He also shared that the car holds sentimental value for him as he has used it for an important milestone in his life.
“I remember my first solo drive in this car after I got my license — it was to the hospital to meet my niece for the first time, right after she was born,” he said, referring to Bindi’s toddler, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell.Â
In March 2021, Bindi and her husband Chandler Powell welcomed their daughter, Grace. The couple chose the name of their daughter as a tribute the beloved crocodile hunter.
“Her middle names, Warrior Irwin, are a tribute to my dad and his legacy as the most incredible Wildlife Warrior,” Bindi said via an Instagram post announcing her birth.Â
