The Great Emu War: How Australia Lost to Giant Birds
In 1932, a unique battle in Western Australia caught everyone’s attention. This was the Great Emu War. The local farmers were suddenly fighting a strange enemy — the emu. This bird is big, powerful, and can’t fly.1 What started as a small effort to control the emu population turned into a funny yet failed mission by the army. They tried to reduce the number of emus but couldn’t, and this event was named the “Emu War.”
The army was serious, using machine guns against the emus. Their goal was to kill about 20,000 emus, but they only got rid of less than 1,000 after two months.1 The emus, cleverly moving in small groups and avoiding the soldiers, were too much to handle. They kept running around and ruining the crops.
The Great Emu War shows how battles between humans and nature can be weird and tough. Even though it was a strange part of Australia’s past, it teaches us important things. We’ll talk about why it happened, what the army tried to do, and what we can learn from this crazy fight.
### Key Takeaways
- The Great Emu War was a military operation in 1932 to cull the emu population in Western Australia, which was damaging crops.
- Despite targeting about 20,000 emus, the military only killed less than 1,000 birds in two months.
- The emus proved to be highly resilient and adaptable, splitting into smaller groups and evading the machine gun fire.
- The failure of the Emu War highlighted the challenges of managing wildlife conflicts and the importance of finding more nuanced solutions.
- The event has become a source of fascination and humor in popular culture, with several upcoming films set to bring this bizarre episode to a wider audience.
The Emu Uprising: An Unconventional Avian Conflict
After World War I, Australia gave land to ex-soldiers for farming in Western Australia’s marginal areas. Soon, the Great Depression hit, but help from the government was promised but not given.1 About 20,000 emus also added to the farmers’ troubles.
Emus, known for wandering after breeding, found the farmers’ enhanced lands suitable. They began eating and ruining crops, allowing rabbits to get through the damaged fences.
Emu War Statistics Data Duration of the Emu War 1 month, 1 week, and 1 day (2 November — 10 December 1932)2 Number of emus confirmed killed 9862 Rounds of ammunition used 9,8602 Rate of confirmed kill 10 rounds per confirmed kill2 Emus killed per week at peak Approximately 1002 Total bounties claimed after Emu War (1934) 57,0342
The emu uprising showcases unconventional warfare tactics and the ornithological warfare history of the emu resistance movement. This marks a strange yet compelling part of Australian history.
Post-World War I Soldier Settlement and the Emu Threat
Discharged Veterans Turned Farmers
After World War I, the Australian government gave land to many veterans. These veterans had served during the war. Their goal was to start farming, especially in parts of Western Australia not great for farming.3 The government bought over 90,000 hectares of land for these veterans after the war.4 In areas like Campion and Ghulan in Western Australia, around 5,000 veterans started farming.3
Onset of the Great Depression and Crop Troubles
In 1929, the Great Depression hit, making farming hard for these veterans. The government asked them to grow more wheat. It promised to help by giving them subsidies but didn’t keep its promises.3 They were told they’d get four shillings for each bushel of wheat under a campaign. However, wheat prices soon dropped a lot because of the Depression.4 Although the government said it would pay four shillings, a new law was passed to lower this to three shillings due to budget problems.4 They even introduced the Wheat Bounty Act, paying only a few pence per bushel, which really hurt the farmers financially.34 As the promised help and prices failed, the farmers were in big trouble by October 1932. Even though they were about to harvest their wheat, they were thinking of not selling it to protest.
The Great Emu War: How Australia Lost a Battle to Giant Birds
In October 1932, Australia began the great emu war. Major Meredith led the challenge against the birds. He had two soldiers, Sergeant McMurray and Gunner O’Halloran, and lots of ammo.2 Rain delayed their plan. It made the emus spread out, making it harder to catch them.
Date of Operation Duration of Operation Number of Emus Killed Rate of Emus Killed 2 November — 10 December 1932 1 month, 1 week, and 1 day 986 confirmed kills 10 rounds per confirmed kill
The first day, only 50 emus were there and they could kill only a few.2 Later, they found over 1,000. But, their guns jammed after only 12 kills.2 The emus were clever. They broke into small groups, using guerrilla tactics. This made it really hard for the soldiers to hit them.
Reasons Behind the Military Deployment
Farmers’ Requests for Assistance
Farmers were worried about emus ruining their fields. They asked for help. Sir George Pearce, the Minister of Defence, heard their concerns. He sent ex-soldiers, who knew the power of machine guns from World War I, to talk to the farmers.
The ex-soldiers asked to use machine guns against the emus. They wanted to try what they knew worked in war.5
Minister of Defence’s Approval and Conditions
Pearce, the Minister, said yes to the farmers’ plea. But, he had some rules. Military folks would fire the guns.5
Transport costs would be paid by Western Australia. And, the farmers had to give the military food, shelter, and cash for bullets. Pearce thought it would be good for the soldiers to practice. Others think the government wanted to help the farmers and stop them from breaking away.
This was seen as a chance to be helpful. Also, to prevent a possible breakup.
The Emu War Begins: Initial Encounters
The started on 2 November 1932. Major Meredith and his team went to the Campion area. There, they saw about 50 emus.5 The emus were too far for the soldiers’ guns. Local people tried to help by getting the birds closer for a shoot. But, the emus were too smart. They broke into small groups and ran fast, dodging the shots.6
Ambush Attempts and Scattered Emu Tactics
The soldiers got a few emus with their first shots, but not many.6 Later, they found a smaller group and killed “perhaps a dozen”.6 On 4 November, Meredith tried an ambush near a dam. Over 1,000 emus were going that way.5 The plan was to wait and then attack when the emus got close. But, their gun broke after killing only 12 emus. The rest got away before they could do more.5
Machine Gun Failures and Limited Casualties
It was becoming clear that the soldiers couldn’t use their guns well against the emus.6 By 8 November, they had killed only 50 to a few hundred emus.6 The emus’ smart moves and the machine guns’ issues showed how hard this fight was.6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejiYxSWrkdY
Emu Counterattacks and Guerrilla Tactics
Major Meredith moved south where the birds were supposedly tame. Unfortunately, his efforts didn’t bring much success.7 Observers noticed something interesting by the fourth day. Each emu pack had a big leader with a black plume. This bird was about six feet tall. It watched over the group and warned them of dangers.
Meredith tried mounting a gun on a truck. However, this plan failed. The truck couldn’t catch up to the emus. Also, the rough ride prevented the gunner from shooting.
Emus’ Adaptability and Resilience
Ornithologist Dominic Serventy described the military’s efforts. They hoped to shoot masses of emus with machine guns. However, the emus started using guerrilla warfare tactics. Their army split into small groups, which made using the guns wasteful.7 After a month, the field force stopped, feeling unable to succeed.”
Military’s Retreat and Reassessment
The emus were too adaptable and resilient for the military. They split into smaller groups to avoid the gunfire.7 Meredith and his soldiers had to retreat. They couldn’t find a way to counter the emus’ smart tactics.7 This event made the military rethink their strategy. They realized the emus were tough foes.
Renewed Offensive and Claimed Victories
After the military left, the fight against emus kept going. This was because the birds were still ruining crops. Farmers needed help. They were facing a lot of emus due to the hot weather and drought. The Defence Minister decided to help them on 12 November after getting a message from the base. It said they had already killed 300 emus before.8
The fight began on 13 November 1932. For the first two days, the soldiers managed to kill around 40 emus. The next day, they weren’t as lucky. But as time went on, they started killing more. By 2 December, they were taking out around 100 emus each week.8
On 10 December, Meredith, a key person in the mission, was called back. In his report, he said they had killed 986 emus. They used 9,860 rounds of ammo for this, which makes it about 10 rounds per bird.
Metric Value Confirmed Emu Kills 986 Rounds Fired 9,860 Rounds per Confirmed Kill 10 Wounded Emus Died 2,500
Aftermath and Legacy of the Emu War
After the Emu War troubles, local farmers asked for help in 1934, 1943, and 1948. But, the government said no each time.2 They kept using the bounty system set up in 1923. It worked well: 57,034 bounties were earned in 1934 alone.29
Continued Emu Crop Destruction
Emus kept ruining the farms despite military actions.2 With no more military help, farmers had to think of new ways to deal with the emus.
Bounty System and Barrier Fencing
The bounty system, started in 1923, really helped control emu numbers.29 In just six months of 1934, 57,034 bounties were given out. This showed how big the emu problem was29 Adding barrier fencing also protected crops better, stopping emus from eating them.
In 1999, a truce was signed even though emus didn’t sign it themselves. This was when emus were made a protected species. It showed their importance in Australia’s nature.
The Emu War in Pop Culture and Media
The story of the has become wildly popular in Australia. The media turned the Great Emu War into a funny tale that could be in a Looney Tunes episode.1 Today, it’s a big hit in pop culture. The internet is flooded with memes that make fun of the Emu War but also find it fascinating.5
People are still very interested in the Emu War. Soon, we’ll see new films about it. For instance, a short, naughty comedy called “The Emu War” is in the works. Plus, John Cleese is working on a longer film about it.5 These efforts will make the even more popular. They are sure to keep its memory alive.
Key Data Points from the Emu War Significance Campaign to cull roughly 20,000 emus in Australia in 19321 Highlights the scale of the emu “problem” that prompted the military intervention Less than 1,000 emus were reported killed after two months1 Demonstrates the ineffectiveness of the military’s efforts to curb the emu population Only about 30 emus were killed after three days of the military operation1 Underscores the resilience and adaptability of the emus in the face of the military’s attempts 986 emus were reported killed between November 12 and December 10, with an additional 2,500 dying of their injuries1 Provides a more comprehensive view of the military’s eventual, though limited, successes Roughly 57,000 bounties for dead emus were claimed in six months in 19341 Highlights the ongoing efforts to manage the emu population through alternative means
Conclusion
The Great Emu War was a strange and funny part of Australia’s past. The military fought the emus, a big bird that couldn’t fly. They used soldiers, guns, and many plans but couldn’t beat the emus. The army’s official report said they killed about 300 emus. But, the commander claimed they killed 986 with lots of bullets. Others think he might have made these numbers up.10
This war that couldn’t be won shows us that solving problems with animals is hard. Sometimes, trying too hard can cause more problems than it solves. After the war, many soldiers were given land in Western Australia to farm. This idea did not work well. By the 1920s, many farmers were very poor because of this failed scheme.10
The Emu War is now a funny story, but it also teaches us a lesson. We need to find better ways to live with animals without causing harm. Putting up fences helped keep the emus from destroying farmers’ crops. In 1999, a peace treaty was made, protecting the emus in Australia. This shows how important it is to protect wild animals like emus.101
FAQ
What was the Great Emu War?
The Great Emu War was an operation in Australia in 1932. It was to control emus destroying crops. This challenge happened in the Wheatbelt of Western Australia, particularly in the Campion district.
Why did the Australian military get involved in the Emu War?
After World War I, many veterans were given land in Western Australia to farm. But, the area was not very productive. When the Great Depression hit, the farmers were asked to grow more wheat. About 20,000 emus started ruining their crops, making things very hard for them. Because of this, the farmers asked for help, and the government sent soldiers.
How did the Emu War unfold?
The soldiers were supposed to control the emu numbers but found it very hard. The emus were smart; they broke into small groups, making it difficult to aim the machine guns effectively. Even though the soldiers were able to kill some at first, they couldn’t reduce the emu population by much. After a month, they had to stop their efforts.
What was the outcome of the Emu War?
Surprisingly, the emus kept destroying crops even after the machine guns were used against them. Since the soldiers’ methods didn’t work, the farmers kept asking for help. Yet, the government decided not to involve the military again. They solved the problem by offering a reward for each emu killed and putting up fences to protect the crops.
How has the Great Emu War been remembered?
The Great Emu War is now a light-hearted part of Australia’s history. It’s often talked about in a fun way, with jokes and even movies. The story shows a funny side of the military trying to fight emus. The emus, in the end, won the ‘battle’ by being clever and tough.
Source Links
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Emu-War
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu_War
- https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-stuff-you-missed-in-histor-21124503/episode/emu-war-of-1932-30207781/
- https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-stuff-you-missed-in-histor-21124503/episode/symhc-classics-emu-war-of-1932-30207592/
- https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-great-emu-war-australia
- https://www.historyhit.com/the-great-emu-war/
- https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/most-indecisive-battles-in-history.1001391/
- https://www.wholesomeshow.com/episodes/the-emu-war-a-deep-dive-into-australias-feathered-fiasco
- https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/emu-war/
- https://www.thecollector.com/great-emu-war/