Steve Irwin gets a seat at his own memorial service

Sep 19, 2006, 14:21 GMT

Australia\'s \'Crocodile Hunter\' Steve Irwin holds a pure bred Sumatran tiger cub at Mogo Zoo south of Sydney in this April 27, 2004 file photo.REUTERS/Will Burgess

Sydney - A seat will be left vacant at this week's memorial service for Steve Irwin, the family of wildlife documentary maker said Tuesday.

The service will be held Wednesday at the Australian Zoo where the Crocodile Hunter had performed before hundreds of thousands of visitors.

The space at the 5,500-seat crocodile enclosure will be next to Terri Irwin, 42, and their two children, 8-year-old Bindi and 2-year-old Bob.

Irwin died September 4 when a stingray's barb pierced his chest while he was filming an underwater sequence on the Great Barrier Reef. He was 44.

Prime Minister John Howard will be the guest of honour at the event broadcast to a television audience around the world.

'There will be one seat alongside of the family for Steve because he loved the Crocoseum - he built it,' John Stainton, Irwin's friend and manager, said. 'And his Australia Zoo cap, that he always wore watching all the shows with his daughter, will be on the seat.'

Earlier this week, Stainton said Terri Irwin was still distraught at the loss of her husband and may not be in control of her emotions enough to address the gathering.

'There's no pressure,' Stainton said. 'Everyone has said they could do something, but I think on the day when it sort of starts and rolls out the family may have a problem with it because there are emotions there that they haven't seen for a while.'

A private funeral for the khaki-clad showman was held at Australia Zoo the week after his death. His family was offered a state funeral by the prime minister but declined, saying the appropriate place was at the zoo near Brisbane where he had spent his lifetime entertaining visitors.

Stainton said Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe had filmed a eulogy that would be shown. Balladeer John Williamson, Irwin's favourite singer, would give a rendition of the folk tale True Blue, his favourite song. There would also be extensive footage of the Crocodile Hunter's television roles.

'I've tried to lift it and have highlights and funny moments in it, but it's really sad when you see him,' Stainton said.