Ruqayyah Snyder
In 1932, Australian soldiers fought a group of emus, large flightless birds indigenous to Australia, in what became known as the 'Emu War' or Great Emu War. The military operation was a response to public concern over the number of emus destroying crops in the Campion district of Western Australia. The Australian army, armed with Lewis guns, killed many emus, but the emu population remained and continued to cause crop destruction. The Emu War is considered a military failure and a testament to the resilience and adaptability of the birds.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 1932 |
| Name of the War | The Emu War or The Great Emu War |
| Country | Australia |
| Military | Royal Australian Artillery |
| Animal | Emus |
| Number of Emus | 20,000 |
| Emu Height | Nearly six feet tall |
| Emu Weight | As heavy as an adult human |
| Emu Speed | Capable of outrunning a human |
| Emu Behaviour | Opportunistic feeders |
| Emu Habitat | The Campion district of Western Australia |
| Weapons Used | Lewis machine guns |
| Number of Emus Killed | 986 confirmed kills (as per Major G.P. Wynne-Aubrey Meredith's report) |
| Outcome | The Emus won |
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What You'll Learn
The Emu War
In 1932, the Australian government declared war on emus—large, flightless birds indigenous to Australia. The event, known as the Emu War, was a military operation to address farmers' concerns about emus destroying crops in the Campion district of Western Australia.
Following World War I, the Australian government gave land to many ex-soldiers from Australia and Great Britain for farming. The region, however, had poor soil and inconsistent rainfall, making farming challenging. When a severe drought in 1932 drove approximately 20,000 emus into farming areas, the birds became a significant problem. They broke fences, allowing smaller pests like rabbits to enter, and feasted on crops.
Farmers appealed to the authorities for help, and the government responded by dispatching soldiers from the Royal Australian Artillery armed with Lewis light machine guns. The mission was to eliminate the emus and protect the crops. The operation began in October 1932 under the command of Major G.P. Wynne-Aubrey Meredith.
The campaign faced several challenges. The emus were fast and agile, often outmaneuvering their pursuers. They also responded to danger by breaking into smaller groups, making it difficult for the soldiers to target them effectively. Despite their efforts, the soldiers had limited success. By December 1932, word of the Emu War had spread internationally, with some conservationists and ornithologists protesting the cull as "extermination of the rare emu".
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The ineffectiveness of machine guns
In 1932, the Australian government dispatched soldiers armed with machine guns to eliminate more than 20,000 emus that were destroying crops in the Campion district of Western Australia. This military operation, known as the "Emu War" or "Great Emu War", proved ineffective, and the emus emerged victorious.
One of the main issues with the use of machine guns in this context was the failure to take into account the behaviour of the emus. When faced with danger, the emus broke up into small groups and scattered in all directions, making it difficult for the soldiers to target them effectively. The soldiers attempted to ambush large flocks, but their efforts were often thwarted by gun jams or inaccurate shots due to the rough terrain.
The emus also proved to be resilient and agile, able to survive bullet wounds and continue running. This made it challenging to confirm kills, and many wounded emus likely escaped and died elsewhere. Additionally, the large size and speed of the emus made them formidable adversaries. Standing nearly six feet tall with three-foot strides, they were capable of outrunning humans and even trucks, as demonstrated by the failed attempt to mount a machine gun on a truck.
The ineffectiveness of the machine guns was further exacerbated by the lack of experienced machine gunners in the state. This resulted in delays and a reliance on military personnel, which may have contributed to the overall lack of success. By the time Major G.P. Wynne-Aubrey Meredith was recalled on December 10, 1932, he claimed 986 confirmed kills with 9,860 rounds of ammunition, equating to exactly 10 rounds per confirmed kill. This fell short of the expected swift victory and highlighted the inefficiency of the machine guns in curbing the emu population.
While the machine guns did result in the death of several hundred emus, the overall campaign was considered a costly and peculiar failure. The emus' ability to adapt, their resilience, and their speed ultimately contributed to the ineffectiveness of the machine guns. The Emu War serves as a reminder of the potential folly of military interventions in wildlife management and the importance of considering the behaviour and capabilities of the target species.
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The resilience of emus
In 1932, Australia declared war on emus—large, flightless birds indigenous to the country. The event, known as the Emu War, was a military operation to address farmers' concerns about emus destroying crops in the Campion district of Western Australia. The emus had migrated to the region in search of food and water, but their presence, alongside the arrival of smaller pests, threatened the livelihood of farmers.
The Australian government dispatched soldiers armed with Lewis machine guns to eliminate more than 20,000 emus. The mission seemed simple: eliminate the emus and protect the crops. However, the emus proved to be resilient and adaptable. They responded to the danger by breaking into smaller groups, making it challenging to target them en masse as intended. The soldiers killed approximately 30 emus in the first few days, a meagre number compared to the total population.
The emus' resilience was further demonstrated by their ability to survive bullet wounds and continue fleeing before succumbing to their injuries. The rough terrain also hindered the soldiers' efforts, as mounting a machine gun on a truck proved ineffective due to the vehicle's slower speed and the gun's reduced accuracy. The emus' agility and speed, combined with their survival instincts, contributed to their resilience against the military offensive.
The military campaign faced criticism and generated concerns about the humane treatment of emus. Despite the soldiers' efforts, the emus emerged victorious, with only a fraction of their population eliminated. The Emu War underscored the birds' tenacity and adaptability, solidifying their status as formidable adversaries. The failure of the military operation highlighted the importance of understanding animal behaviour and the ecological roles that emus play, such as seed dispersal and their deep cultural significance in Aboriginal creation stories.
The Emu War, a unique chapter in Australia's history, serves as a reminder of the resilience and resourcefulness of emus. It also led to the recognition of the need for alternative approaches to managing human-animal conflicts, such as the subsequent use of exclusion barrier fencing to keep emus and other pests out of agricultural areas.
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The impact on farmers
In 1932, the Australian government gave land to ex-soldiers and farmers in Western Australia, encouraging them to increase wheat production. However, the land was of poor agricultural quality, with inconsistent rainfall and poor soil.
Following World War I, emus routinely migrate to the west coast in search of food and water. In 1932, a severe drought drove nearly 20,000 emus into farming areas, where they consumed and spoiled crops and damaged fences, allowing smaller pests like rabbits and dingoes to enter and cause further damage.
The emus' invasion of farming areas was the final straw for farmers, who had already been struggling with the harsh conditions. They appealed to the authorities for assistance, and the government responded by sending in soldiers from the Royal Australian Artillery armed with Lewis light machine guns.
The military operation, known as the "Emu War", aimed to eliminate the emus and protect the crops. However, the campaign faced several challenges, including the emus' ability to survive bullet wounds and their tendency to break into smaller groups and scatter in different directions, making it difficult for the soldiers to target them effectively.
Despite some success in killing emus, the overall campaign was considered a failure, with the emu population persisting and continuing to cause crop destruction. The farmers were left no better off, and calls for more humane treatment of the emus eventually led to the government calling off the operation.
The Emu War highlighted the resilience and adaptability of emus and their ecological importance in seed dispersal and vegetation regeneration. It also underscored the challenges faced by farmers in Western Australia, who were dealing with difficult agricultural conditions and the impact of pest animals on their crops.
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The media's reaction
As news of the Emu War spread, the reaction from the media outside Australia was largely critical. By December 1932, the story had reached the United Kingdom, where some conservationists and animal welfare advocates protested the cull as the "extermination of the rare emu". Eminent Australian ornithologists Dominic Serventy and Hubert Whittell described the operation as "an attempt at the mass destruction of the birds".
Australian media also reported on the ineffectiveness of the campaign. Despite the military's efforts, the emu population remained resilient, and the birds continued to cause crop destruction. One newspaper article printed during the Emu War highlighted the unsuccessful attempts to curb the emu population, with soldiers armed with Lewis guns. By the fourth day of the campaign, army observers reported that the emus appeared well-organised, with each pack having its own leader. The soldiers struggled to adapt to the birds' behaviour, as the emus responded to danger by breaking up into smaller groups and scattering, making it difficult to target them en masse.
Some Australian media outlets defended the military operation. An article in the Coolgardie Miner on 23 August 1935 reported that the use of machine guns had been criticised but argued that the method was effective in saving what remained of the wheat crops. The article also highlighted the impact of exclusion barrier fencing in keeping emus out of agricultural areas after 1930.
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Frequently asked questions
Australian soldiers fought emus, large flightless birds, in 1932.
The conflict was called the Emu War, or the Great Emu War.
Following World War I, the Australian government settled thousands of ex-soldiers in Western Australia. The region's harsh conditions, poor soil, and inconsistent rainfall made farming difficult. In 1929, when the Great Depression hit, the government encouraged these farmers to increase wheat production. However, a severe drought in 1932 drove approximately 20,000 emus into farming areas, where they consumed and spoiled crops and damaged fences, allowing rabbits and other pests to enter.
Australian soldiers used Lewis light machine guns in an attempt to cull the emu population. The operation was led by Major G.P. Meredith of the Seventh Heavy Battery of the Royal Australian Artillery.
No, the emus proved resilient and adaptable. While hundreds or even thousands of emus were killed, the exact number is unknown, and the emu population remained large enough to continue causing crop destruction. The emus' ability to survive bullet wounds and evade capture led to the conflict being deemed a costly and peculiar failure.
