The thoughts that come to our mind when we hear about “war” include battles between nations, grand strategies, and political intrigue. Australia, however, fought a war in 1932 that was unlike any other war fought before. It wasn’t a fight against other countries or humans—it was a fight against emus. The Great Emu War of 1932 was a bizarre chapter in the history of bird warfare, where the Australian military took on an army of flightless birds—all for nothing.
The Problem: Too Many Emus
For the direct benefit of aiding returning soldiers after World War I, the Australian government promoted farming in the far-flung, open lands of Western Australia. The implementation of such a plan was noble, but there was one major snag—emus. These big, fast-running birds migrated en masse from the interiors into the agricultural zones, destroying crops and making life miserable for the beleaguered farmers. By 1932, it was estimated that approximately 20,000 emus were laying waste to wheat fields, depriving Australia of food and putting farmers into bankruptcy.
The timing was just perfect. Australia, like nearly all other countries, suffered from the Great Depression. The price of wheat was nose-diving; farmers were promised subsidies that never came and were now fighting a war on two fronts—economics and an overwhelming invasion of emus.
The Solution: Call in the Military
Farmers, in their frustration, turned to the government for assistance, and the response sent in the Australian military. Major G.P.W. Meredith of the Royal Australian Artillery orchestrated the whole plan with two other soldiers backing him with Lewis machine guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition. They would be tracking and simply eliminating their emu enemy.
Using military resources on birds drew mixed reactions. Some saw it as a necessary approach toward securing essential food supply sources, while others thought it ridiculous. Nevertheless, the operation found favor, and in early November 1932, the soldiers embarked on their mission.
The Battle Begins
The first encounter occurred on November 2, 1932, when they discovered about 50 emus and opened fire on them. Much to their surprise, the number of emus turned out to be well beyond their initial estimation. The birds scattered, making aiming difficult, and consequently, the bullets flew around hazily, with only a few actually hitting their targets. The soldiers soon learnt that the emus were indeed fast, highly coordinated, and possibly even aware of the military’s tactics.
In the following days, different strategies were tried on the emus. They mounted machine guns on trucks to hunt down the birds. But the emus could run as fast as 40 mph through rough terrain, making it impossible to aim from a moving vehicle accurately. In what appeared to be a concerted effort, the birds would often split into groups, thus thwarting any plan to eradicate them in large numbers.
The Emus Win
In the last week of November, the military formally admitted defeat, and the entire operation was called off. One of the most amusing aspects of the operation relates to Major Meredith’s observation that the emus exhibited a remarkable degree of tactical cunning, operating in small skirmish units with many evasive movements, seemingly directed by leaders giving the order for a mass movement. The emus seemed to outwit the soldiers at every step.
Adding insult to injury, a group of farmers later reported that a solitary emu had consumed 10 bullets and still managed to escape, further attesting to the tenacity of these birds. News of their toughness spread, leading to jokes suggesting that emus were Australia’s most potent foe.
The Aftermath
The government shifted gears after the fiasco. Instead of direct military intervention, they encouraged farmers to erect fences and later adopted a bounty system, which worked well. Over the years, these measures kept the emu population in check, although emus are still a part of Australia today.
The troops, however, seemed to take the loss in good fun, while Major Meredith later remarked that if the army had to contend with such an enemy in actual warfare, they would have great problems. Newspapers reported the disaster in an amusingly frustrating tone, and the public soon came to view the Great Emu War as an incident of comedy rather than serious conflict.
However, the failure of the Great Emu War indicated the urgent need for better agricultural protection. The years afterward saw significant improvements in government support for farmers, including better fencing and alternative pest control methods. Nowadays, emus no longer constitute a great threat to agriculture in Australia, but they still tend to create some trouble from time to time.
The Legacy of the Great Emu War
The Great Emu War often serves as a reference in cases where military overconfidence needs specification and nature’s surprises. It is a reminder that, from time to time, the best plans may fail due to a lack of cooperation from nature. Nowadays, the story is told in a lighthearted and almost unbelievable way, something like a historical footnote that shows that even a superpower like the military may not guarantee victory.
The Great Emu War, a 1932 Australian event, has provided endless material for memes, jokes, video games, and comedy sketches. It is therefore, and quite rightly, regarded by many as arguably the most absurd-yet-fascinating military campaign in history. Perhaps many Australians cherish this story because they see it as part of their very own national identity—one that involves laughing at oneself.
Conclusion
The Great Emu War never actually helped in its formal sense toward the construct of a conventional war, yet it remains one of the strangest military actions recorded in history. With speed and surprising intelligence, emus managed to thwart the Australian army’s brute force. Indeed, this fascinating tale is a delight for people around the world—a lesson in humility and plentiful entertainment.
