All in One Digest

The Great Emu War was a real and unusual event in Australian history that took place in 1932. It involved the Australian military attempting to control the population of emus, large flightless birds that were damaging farmland in Western Australia. Despite their superior weaponry, the soldiers ultimately failed, and the emus emerged victorious.

Background: Why Did It Happen?

After World War I, many Australian soldiers were given land in Western Australia as part of a government resettlement program. However, when the Great Depression hit, these farmers struggled financially and faced severe challenges, including a massive emu migration into their farmland.

• The emus, seeking food and water, began destroying crops in the Campion district, damaging fences, and making life even harder for the struggling farmers.
• The farmers, unable to control the emu invasion on their own, appealed to the Australian government for help.

The War: What Happened?

In November 1932, the government sent soldiers armed with machine guns to deal with the emu problem. The operation was led by Major G.P.W. Meredith of the Royal Australian Artillery.

• First Encounter (November 2, 1932): The soldiers found a group of about 50 emus and opened fire with their Lewis machine guns. However, the emus quickly scattered and outran the gunfire.
• Second Attempt (November 4, 1932): The soldiers ambushed a larger group of about 1,000 emus near a dam, but their gun jammed after killing only a few birds.
• Mounted Machine Guns on Trucks: The soldiers even tried mounting machine guns on trucks to chase the emus, but this failed because the birds were too fast and agile, and the terrain was too rough for the vehicles.

The Outcome: Emus Win

After several failed attempts, the government called off the operation on December 10, 1932. By then:

• The soldiers had used 2,500 rounds of ammunition, but only managed to kill about 200 to 1,000 emus.
• Meanwhile, the emu population remained in the tens of thousands.
• Major Meredith later praised the emus, noting their speed, intelligence, and ability to avoid bullets.

The Great Emu War was widely seen as a failure and became a source of humor and embarrassment for the Australian military.

Aftermath & Legacy

• The government later introduced a bounty system that encouraged hunters to shoot emus for rewards, which was more effective.
• Emu-proof fences were also built to prevent similar problems.
• The Great Emu War became a legend, often cited as an example of wildlife outsmarting humans.

Fun Fact

Despite the failure, Major Meredith famously stated that:

“If we had a military division with the bullet-carrying capacity of these birds, it would face any army in the world.”

The Great Emu War remains a fascinating and bizarre piece of Australian history, often referenced in memes, jokes, and pop culture today.