Wondering where iconic wildlife-conservationist Robert Irwin calls home, the answer has remained consistent, even as his public profile accelerates. Despite global recognition, television appearances and a fast-growing audience, Robert Irwin continues to live where he always has – on the grounds of Australia Zoo, the family’s expansive property in Beerwah on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
At the ripe age of 21, Robert’s decision to stay at home mirrors the experience of many young Australians, but his circumstances are far from ordinary. His growing wealth, bolstered by recent TV appearances on I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! and Dancing with the Stars, sets him apart. Robert reportedly earns a base salary of $US125,000 ($A188,000) for the first two weeks of Dancing with the Stars, with the figure potentially reaching a total of US $295,000 (approximately AUD $447,000) to us $400,000 (AUS $606,000).
Robert is currently in the United States to perform on Dancing with the Stars and was scheduled to return home to Australia when the series wrapped. His mother, Terri, and his sister, Bindi, have also temporarily relocated to the US while he performs on the show – one Bindi herself won several years ago.
Life at the Irwin family home is inseparable from the operations of Australia Zoo. Set within a 32,000-acre landholding on Steve Irwin Way, the property functions as both residence and wildlife sanctuary. The land alone is rumoured to be worth $25 million and houses more than 1200 animals, forming the backdrop to Robert’s morning routine. Its defining feature is proximity – to wildlife, to nature and to the legacy established by his parents, especially his deeply beloved late father, Steve Irwin.
Why the Australia Zoo home remains his base
While there were murmurs of Irwin relocating to America full-time after taking home winner status in this year’s Dancing with the Stars season, it appears that even as international opportunities increase, Australia Zoo remains Robert Irwin’s base for pragmatic and philosophical reasons. It is where the family’s conservation initiatives are centred and where he can engage directly with the work that characterises his public identity. Remaining in Beerwah also preserves continuity: the landscape, the animals and the day-to-day responsibilities offer a structure that aligns with the mission he has inherited.