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The memorial service to commemorate the life of crocodile hunter Steve Irwin took place at Australia Zoo on Wednesday.
More than 5,000 people crowded into the zoo's Crocoseum on the Sunshine Coast for the service and gave a standing ovation to Irwin's wife Terri and and his children Bindi and Bob and other family members.
The service was viewed by an estimated 300 million fans worldwide.
A large crowd also gathered outside the zoo.
Prime Minister John Howard paid tribute to Steve Irwin in a brief address.
"My fellow Australians, we gather in this special place that Steve created to celebrate the life of a remarkable man and remarkable Australian," Howard said.
"Steve Irwin touched the hearts of Australians and touched the hearts of millions around the world in a very special way.
"He did that because he had that quality of being genuine, of being authentic, of being unconditional and having a great zest for life and throughout his all-too-short life he demonstrated a love for the two things that ought to matter more to all of us than anything else - his love of his family and his love of his country."
Howard said he brought to Australians and to the world an understanding of nature.
"He taught our children in particular to love and respect all creatures great and small," he said.
"In everything he did he was direct, he was genuine and oh so Australian and that is what we loved about him."
Lightening the mood, the crowd was shown humorous footage of Irwin falling out of boats, getting bitten by crocodiles and lizards, messing up his lines and being chased by cassowaries.
They were also shown clips of his journey "from the outback to Hollywood" and footage of him speaking about the death of his mother.
The crowd enthusiastically jumped to its feet and clapped along as Williamson sang a spirited version of Home Among the Gum Trees from the back of Irwin's ute, accompanied by Australia Zoo staff.
Bindi's speech
Irwin's eight-year-old daughter Bindi was greeted with a standing ovation as she walked on to a stage in front of a large hoto of her father and, smiling, read her own tribute from a sheet of paper.
"My daddy was my hero - he was always there for me when I needed him," she said, tracing the words on the paper with a finger.
"He listened to me and taught me so many things but most of all he was fun.
"I know that Daddy had an important job. He was working to change the world so everyone would love wildlife like he did."
She said her father built a hospital and bought land to give animals a safe place to live and she wanted to continue his legacy.
"I don't want Daddy's passion to ever end," she said.
"I want to help endangered wildlife just like he did."
Bindi said she would miss her father.
"I have the best Daddy in the whole world and I will miss him every day," she said.
"When I see a crocodile I will always think of him and I know that Daddy made this zoo so everyone could come and learn to love all the animals.
"Daddy made this place his whole life and now it's our turn to help Daddy."
Bob Irwin
Irwin's father Bob choked back tears as he briefly thanked well-wishers for their letters and gifts on behalf of the family.
"Please don't grieve for Steve - he's at peace now," he said.
"But I would like you to grieve for the animals - the animals have lost the best friend they ever had, and so have I.
"I was fortunate to just recently spend three or four weeks with Steve on crocodile research and he was the best he'd been for many years and I'll certainly treasure that."
More tributes
Clark Bunting, executive vice president of Discovery Networks, said he first met Irwin as the head of a cable channel Animal Planet in the US.
He said when he saw a "very rough" video of the Crocodile Hunter's exploits, "his passion, sincerity and knowledge were obvious".
"I still remember thinking to myself, if this guy is for real we have to work with him," Bunting said.
"Anyone who spent any time with Steve knew that above all else he was real."
Irwin, 44, was killed in a freak accident more than two weeks ago when he was speared in the chest by a stingray barb while making a documentary off north Queensland.
