The Great Emu War: How Australia Lost to Giant Birds
The Emu War, also known as the Great Emu War, took place in late 1932 in Australia. It was in response to emus destroying crops in the Campion district. This area is in the Wheatbelt of Western Australia1,2. Soldiers from the Royal Australian Artillery tried to control the emu numbers with Lewis guns.
Key Takeaways
- The Australian government launched a military operation, dubbed the “Great Emu War,” in 1932 to cull the emu population that was damaging crops.
- Despite deploying soldiers with machine guns, the emus proved to be elusive and resilient, with the military failing to significantly reduce their numbers.
- The conflict highlighted the challenges of managing human-wildlife conflicts, where the adaptability of the emu population outmatched the military’s firepower.
- The Great Emu War is considered a humorous and bizarre episode in Australia’s history, with the emus ultimately being declared the “victors” of the conflict.
- The failed military operation led to the establishment of a bounty system to address the ongoing emu problem, which was more effective than the military’s efforts.
The Bizarre Background of the Emu War
After World War I, Australia wanted to help its veterans. So, they set up a plan to give them land to farm in the west. This was in areas not great for farming.1
Post-World War I Soldier Settlement Scheme
In 1929, the Great Depression started. The government asked these new farmers to grow more wheat. They were promised help with money but didn’t get it.1 By October 1932, things got really tough. The farmers were about to harvest their wheat. They were angry and wanted to keep it instead of selling it.
The Great Depression and Wheat Farming Crisis
This made the wheat prices drop even more, making life very hard for the farmers. They asked the government for help. But, they also had another
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The Emu Invasion
Emus Descend on Western Australian Farmlands
After they breed, emus travel to the coast. They came from inland areas to Western Australia.3 There, they found perfect conditions on farmlands. They moved into farm areas, especially in Chandler and Walgoolan.
The farmers had cleared the lands. They had also increased water supplies. This was for their livestock. The emus loved the cultivated areas. They damaged crops and made it easy for rabbits to enter.
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Desperate Farmers Request Military Assistance
The emu migration patterns and emu crop damage in western australia upset the farmers.34 They asked the government for help during the Great Depression. They couldn’t handle the emu invasion alone and needed military support.
The Australian Army Deploys
In response to Australian farmers’ concerns, Defence Minister Sir George Pearce acted.1 He ordered the emu population to be cut down. Major Gwynydd Purves Wynne-Aubrey Meredith led the “war.” He was in charge of soldiers Sergeant S. McMurray and Gunner J. O’Halloran. They had two Lewis guns and 10,000 rounds of ammo.3 But, the operation faced a delay due to rainfall. This made the emus scatter in a wider area.
Major Meredith’s mission was to deal with 20,000 emus moving inland to breed.5 This migration caused the Australian government to go to war against the emus. They aimed to reduce the emu population. This would help lessen the damage to crops in Western Australia.
The Great Emu War: How Australia Lost a Battle to Giant Birds
Initial Clashes and Emu’s Guerrilla Tactics
On 2 November, troops headed to Campion to face about 50 emus. The birds were far, so the soldiers’ shots missed. Settlers also tried to help by herding the emus, but the birds outsmarted them. They broke into smaller groups and scattered, staying out of range.
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Ineffective Machine Gun Attacks
The soldiers then tried machine guns. The first shots missed. But, a second round took down “a number” of emus. Later, they found a smaller group. This time, they killed “perhaps a dozen” emus.
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Casualty Count and Withdrawal
After four days, the soldiers noticed something interesting. They saw a big, six-foot-tall bird leading the others. This bird watched out for danger while the rest destroyed things. When the soldiers came close, it warned them. At one point, Major Meredith tried to shoot at these birds from a moving truck. But, the truck was too slow, and the road was too bumpy for the shooter. So, his plan didn’t work out.23
Limited Impact on Emu Population
By November 8, just six days later, they had already fired 2,500 bullets. It’s unclear how many emus died, but estimates vary from 50 to 500. Then, the soldiers said they killed 986 more emus. They used nearly 10,000 bullets this time. However, this slaughter barely made a dent in the emu population, which was still causing trouble for the farmers.
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Meredith’s Admiration for the Emus
Major Meredith and his soldiers grew to respect the emus. They admired how clever and hard to catch the birds were. The emus worked together in small teams and could warn each other about dangers. They were very good at dodging the soldiers’ gunfire. This left a strong impression on Meredith and his soldiers.
The War Resumes
After pulling back, the fight against emus picked up again. This was because emus didn’t stop attacking crops. The farmers were struggling due to the hot weather and drought, and thousands of emus were invading their lands.6 When the farmers asked for help, the Base Commander’s report was key. It said that 300 emus were killed earlier. So, the Minister of Defence said yes to more military action by November 12.
Renewed Military Efforts
The next round in the Emu War began on November 12. Major Meredith’s report showed 986 emus were taken down by December 10.1 But, even after aiming to cull about 20,000 emus, less than 1,000 were actually killed. Machine guns were used, but they didn’t hit their target as planned.16
Claimed Kills and Eventual Retreat
The army eventually had to step back. They claimed around 2,500 emus died later because of the fighting, but this is doubted.1 Emus showed they were strong and smart. They weren’t taken down easily by the military, thanks to their swift moves and sneaky group tactics.
Aftermath and Legacy
The initial Emu War operation faced problems, so when farmers asked for help again in 1934, 1943, and 1948, they were denied each time.7 The government kept the bounty system they started in 1923, which paid people for killing emus. This method worked well: during a half-year period in 1934, 57,034 emus were killed and claimed as bounties.
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Continuing Emu Problems and Bounty System
Emus kept destroying crops in Western Australia, leading to massive losses for farmers.4 To solve this, the government kept the bounty system. It paid people to reduce the emu population. This method worked better than using the military, as we saw in 1934. Many emus were killed this way.
The Emu War in Popular Culture
The Great Emu War is a famous part of Australian history. It’s a story that people find interesting and funny, even decades later. The story of the soldiers losing to the emus and the birds’ success has become well-known.
Today, the Emu War is in books, movies, and other media. This shows its lasting place in Australian culture. It’s a unique event that people still talk about and enjoy.
Lessons from a Bizarre Conflict
The Great Emu War showed major challenges in handling human-wildlife conflicts. The emus’ ability to outsmart was greater than the military’s might.5 The emus dodged attacks with their speed, group tactics, and good communication.8
The limits of using force against clever animals were also clear. Australian forces tried to cut down the emu numbers with two guns and 10,000 bullets.8 However, using almost all their ammo, they only got about 1,000 emus.8 This was way fewer than their 20,000 emu target.5
The important lessons from the Great Emu War point to using smart strategies for each wildlife issue. The emus’ avoiding tactics and how they worked together showed the need for specific plans.51
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Australia learned that just using the military wasn’t the best plan long-term.1 Changing to a bounty for the emus and arming farmers worked better. Over 57,000 rewards were given after the army stopped fighting the emus.18
The Great Emu War warns against only using the military for human-wildlife conflicts. Learning from this weird event can shape better plans for the future. This can help in managing wildlife in a way that is both successful and lasting.
Conclusion
In 1932, the Australian government took on the emu problem in a most unusual way. They sent soldiers with machine guns after the birds. This was due to the emus damaging the wheat farms. Surprisingly, the emus outsmarted the military and were hard to hit. As a result, the army didn’t make a big dent in the emu population.9
During a month and some days, the efforts led to just 986 emus killed. This took almost 10,000 rounds of ammo.9 It was a challenge, with only about 10 bullets hitting each emu. And the most emus they got in a week was around 100.9 Sadly, even with this low number, around 2,500 wounded emus died later on.9
The army’s struggle showed how tough emus really are. After this, a different plan was needed. So, in 1934, a bounty was put on emus. People could earn money for killing them. In just six months, over 57,000 bounties were given out.91 This change highlighted that beating the emu problem would need a smarter, less direct approach.
This unusual event — known as the Great Emu War — warns us about tackling conflicts between people and wildlife. It points out that fighting nature with weapons is not the best choice. The story still interests people today. It teaches the importance of working together and being creative when dealing with nature.
FAQ
What was the Great Emu War?
The Great Emu War was a unique event in Australia in late 1932. The country faced a big problem with emus destroying crops. To solve this, soldiers were sent to fight the emus using machine guns.
What was the background leading up to the Emu War?
After World War I, Australia gave land to many veterans for farming. When the Great Depression hit in 1929, these farmers faced hard times. The farmers tried to grow more wheat but failed due to low prices and no government help. As a result, emus started eating their crops.
How did the Australian military attempt to address the emu problem?
The defense minister at the time decided to reduce the number of emus. Major Meredith was in charge of this operation. His team included soldiers and machine guns.
How did the initial military encounters with the emus go?
The soldiers had a tough time fighting the emus. Their first attack with the machine guns failed because of the distance. The emus were too fast and many got away. They even tried putting a machine gun on a truck, but the emus were still too quick.
What was the overall outcome of the Great Emu War?
In the end, despite using a lot of ammunition, the soldiers didn’t reduce the emu numbers by much. The emus were simply too good at avoiding the attacks. After the military left, the problem with crops remained. The government didn’t give much help to the struggling farmers.
What was the legacy of the Great Emu War?
The Great Emu War showed how hard it can be to fight animals with military power. This event is still remembered in Australia today. It’s often used as a funny example of how difficult it can be to beat nature with weapons.
Source Links
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Emu-War
- https://www.thecollector.com/great-emu-war/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu_War
- https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/emu-war/
- https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-great-emu-war-australia
- https://medium.com/@britblue/the-great-emu-war-when-australia-went-to-battle-against-birds-and-lost-b198bfb5b270
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu_war
- https://tilln.com/season-4/the-great-emu-war/
- https://medium.com/@aniolplay9/the-great-emu-war-how-australia-lost-to-giant-birds-370345c43817