Damon Mcknight
In 1932, Australia declared war on emus, large, flightless birds native to the country. The Emu War or Great Emu War was a military operation to address the issue of emus destroying crops and causing economic harm to farmers in Western Australia. The Australian government's decision to classify emus as vermin and deploy soldiers with machine guns to cull them sparked widespread media attention and amusement, with the operation ultimately proving ineffective as the emus outmaneuvered and evaded their attackers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 1932 |
| Location | Campion district, Western Australia |
| Reason | Emus were destroying crops, breaking through fences, and causing economic harm |
| Weapons Used | Lewis machine guns, trucks |
| Outcome | Australia lost; emus proved faster than trucks and more resilient than expected |
| Casualties | Unknown, estimates range from 50 to 500; Major Meredith's report claimed 986 kills and 2,500 wounded |
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What You'll Learn
The Emu War of 1932
In 1932, Australia declared war on emus. This conflict became known as the Great Emu War. The emu is a large, flightless bird native to Australia.
In the aftermath of World War I, the Australian government gave land to many ex-soldiers to take up farming in Western Australia. Much of this land was of poor quality for farming. When the Great Depression hit in 1929, wheat prices fell, and the government encouraged these farmers to increase their wheat crops, promising—but failing to deliver—assistance in the form of subsidies.
The farmers' difficulties were compounded by the arrival of approximately 20,000 emus. Emus regularly migrate after their breeding season, heading to the coast from inland regions. With the additional water supplies made available by the farmers, the emus were attracted to the farmland. The emus ate and ruined crops and also made large holes in fences, allowing rabbits to enter and cause further damage.
In 1922, the Australian government had changed the status of emus from a protected native species to "vermin". In light of the damage caused by the emus, the farmers requested government assistance. Minister for Defence George Pearce agreed to send military personnel, under the condition that the guns would be used by soldiers, troop transport would be financed by the Western Australian government, and the farmers would provide food, accommodation, and payment for the ammunition. Pearce also supported the deployment on the grounds that the birds would make good target practice.
In November 1932, three members of the Royal Australian Artillery travelled to the Campion district: Maj. Gwynydd Purves Wynne-Aubrey Meredith in command, Sgt. S. McMurray, and Gunner J. O’Halloran. The group had two Lewis automatic machine guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition. On 2 November, the men encountered a flock of about 50 emus. As the birds were out of range of the guns, the local settlers attempted to herd the emus into an ambush, but the birds split into small groups and ran so that they were difficult to target. A few days later, the soldiers encountered around 1,000 emus. However, during this engagement, one of the machine guns jammed, and the emus escaped with only a handful of casualties.
By 8 November, six days after the fighting started, the soldiers had fired 2,500 bullets. It is unclear how many birds were killed, with estimates ranging from 50 to 500. Following negative media coverage, Pearce withdrew the military personnel and guns. After the withdrawal, Major Meredith compared the emus to Zulus, commenting on their manoeuvrability, even when wounded. The emu attacks on crops continued, and farmers again requested support, citing hot weather and drought that brought emus onto farms in large numbers.
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Emus classified as vermin
In 1922, the Australian government reclassified emus from a protected native species to "vermin". This reclassification was in response to emus destroying large amounts of vital crops, such as wheat. Emus frequently broke through farmers' fences, creating holes that allowed pests such as rabbits to enter and cause further damage. When eating crops, emus would trample anything growing nearby, causing even more damage.
In 1932, an unusually large migration of emus, caused by drought, led to massive damage to wheat crops in Western Australia, particularly in the Campion district. Farming in the Campion district was dominated by World War I veterans who had been settled on the marginal land as part of a government program. These farmers had already been struggling due to the onset of the Great Depression in 1929 and the government's failure to deliver promised subsidies. The arrival of approximately 20,000 emus threatened to do serious economic harm to the region.
The farmers were permitted to shoot the emus themselves, but their resources were limited, so they requested government assistance. The Minister for Defence, George Pearce, agreed to send military personnel, under the condition that the guns would be used by soldiers, troop transport would be financed by the Western Australian government, and the farmers would provide food, accommodation, and payment for the ammunition. Pearce justified the deployment on the grounds that the birds would make good target practice, and it has also been argued that the government may have viewed the operation as a way to be seen to be helping the Western Australian farmers.
The military operation, known as the "Emu War", began in early November 1932. The soldiers encountered a flock of about 50 emus and succeeded in killing several before the birds scattered. A few days later, they encountered a battalion of around 1,000 birds, but the machine gun jammed, resulting in a clear victory for the emus. The Australian media quickly framed the emus as formidable foes, describing them as "an advancing army with keen eyesight...the enemy watching [through] their periscopes raised up over heads of corn". Despite the claimed success of the cull, the emus continued to destroy crops, and farmers requested government assistance several more times in the following years.
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Farmers request military aid
In 1932, Australia declared war on emus, large, flightless birds native to the country. This conflict, known as the "Great Emu War," was sparked by concerns from farmers in Western Australia, particularly in the Campion district, who faced significant challenges due to the presence of approximately 20,000 migrating emus.
The emus were destroying crops, trampling plants, and creating holes in fences, allowing pests like rabbits to cause further damage. The situation was exacerbated by the ongoing Great Depression, as farmers struggled economically even without the added pressure of emu migrations.
Facing such difficulties, the farmers requested military aid from the Australian government. The Minister for Defence, George Pearce, agreed to send professional soldiers equipped with machine guns to assist the farmers. The operation was led by Major Gwynydd Purves Wynne-Aubrey Meredith, commanding Sergeant S. McMurray and Gunner J. O'Halloran, who were armed with two Lewis guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition.
The Emu War commenced on November 2, 1932, with soldiers encountering a group of about 50 emus. Despite their efforts, the emus proved challenging to target. The birds scattered, and attempts to herd them into an ambush were unsuccessful. A few days later, the soldiers faced approximately 1,000 emus, but their machine gun jammed, allowing the emus to escape with minimal casualties.
The emus' resilience, speed, and manoeuvrability impressed observers, with Major Meredith noting their ability to withstand bullet wounds and continue running. Despite the military intervention, the emu attacks on crops persisted, and farmers continued to request support, citing hot weather and drought as factors driving the influx of emus onto their farms.
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Machine guns ineffective
In 1932, Australia declared war on emus, large, flightless birds native to the country. This event, known as the Great Emu War, was a military operation to address the issue of emus destroying crops and causing economic harm to farmers in Western Australia.
The Australian government's decision to deploy soldiers with machine guns against the emus proved ineffective. Despite the soldiers' efforts, the emus' speed, manoeuvrability, and tough hides made them challenging targets. The soldiers encountered difficulties in aiming their weapons, and even when shots landed, the emus often continued running, only to succumb to their injuries later.
The ineffectiveness of machine guns in the Emu War was highlighted by the birds' resilience and ability to survive bullet wounds. Emus are known for their tough hides, which meant that glancing bullets from machine guns rarely caused fatal or severe injuries. This made it difficult to assess the immediate effectiveness of attacks, as wounded emus would often escape before dying from their wounds.
The terrain also played a factor in the machine guns' ineffectiveness. The rough terrain made it challenging for soldiers to get into optimal positions for firing, and attempts to use trucks for mobility proved unsuccessful, as the trucks were slower than the running emus, and the rough ride made it difficult for gunners to aim and fire accurately.
The Emu War lasted for several days, with soldiers encountering large flocks of emus and managing to kill only a few. The operation was widely publicized in the media, with reports of the soldiers' struggles against the resilient emus spreading beyond Australia. The failure of machine guns in the Emu War led to criticism of the approach and highlighted the need for alternative strategies to manage conflicts between human activities and wildlife.
While the machine guns were ineffective in completely stopping the emus, Major G.P. Wynne-Aubrey Meredith, who led the operation, claimed 986 kills with 9,860 rounds, along with an estimated 2,500 wounded birds that later died from their injuries. However, the overall impact on the emu population was not significant enough to prevent crop destruction, and the emus continued to pose challenges for farmers even after the military withdrawal.
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Emus declared protected species in 1999
Emus are large, flightless birds native to Australia. They are the second-largest birds in the world, reaching up to 190 cm in height and weighing around 55 kg. Emus are highly nomadic, and their range covers most of mainland Australia. They inhabit open plains, snowfields, forests, and savannah woodlands, and they require daily access to fresh water.
In 1932, Australia's Western region experienced an influx of approximately 20,000 emus migrating inland during their breeding season. This large-scale migration threatened to cause significant economic harm to farmers in the area, who were already struggling due to the Great Depression. The emus destroyed vital crops, such as wheat, and their presence also attracted pests such as rabbits.
In response to the concerns of farmers, the Australian government launched the ""Emu War" in 1932. The government deployed soldiers with machine guns and grenades to try to eradicate the emus. However, the operation was largely unsuccessful due to the elusiveness and camouflage abilities of the emus. It was also challenging to judge the effectiveness of the attacks, as some injured emus kept running and only died later from their wounds.
Despite the negative media coverage and criticism from conservationists, the farmers continued to request military assistance in dealing with emu invasions in the following years. However, the government turned down these requests after 1948.
In 1999, wild emus were granted formal protection under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. This legislation helped ensure the conservation and protection of emus and their habitats in Australia. The emu is also an important cultural icon in Australia, appearing on the coat of arms and various coinages, and playing a significant role in Indigenous Australian mythologies.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia declared war on emus, a species of native flightless bird.
Emus were destroying crops and farmers' rifles were inadequate in dealing with the problem. The emus also made large holes in fences where other pests, such as rabbits, could enter and cause more damage.
The "Great Emu War" took place in 1932.
The emus were victorious. The Australian military was unsuccessful in its attempts to cull the birds, and they continued to destroy crops.
