On 2nd November 1932, a military operation was launched by the Australian government that would shock the world. This extraordinary operation was aimed at an unexpected adversary, the emu, a large flightless species of bird. The Campaign, later dubbed the ‘Great Emu War’, was initiated in an attempt to suppress the destruction of farmland in Western Australia caused by a massive influx of these critters. With an extensive machine gun arsenal, Major Meredith led the culling of the emus. However, akin to the land itself, the birds proved far too stubborn and resilient for even heavy weaponry. The War remains an unconventionally comedic, yet cautionary tale on environmental management as well as the limitations of military use in the face of nature’s sheer tenacity.
In the aftermath of World War I, veterans who had fought for the Australian Imperial Force were promised plots of land upon their return. The war had been costly for the nation, with over 60,000 deaths from an enlisted force of 40,000. Therefore, the government set up the Soldier Settlement Scheme, which aimed to provide stable employment for these soldiers who had fought bravely, whilst also boosting wheat production. However, many of these farms had been established in marginal, drought prone regions, making them ill-suited for long-term agricultural success. The economic crisis of the 1930s made no positive contributions to the veterans’ situations either – with the Great Depression plummeting wheat prices and raising unemployment to 32%.
As farmers struggled to make ends meet, the emu found these newly cultivated lands which were an abundant source of food and water. An estimated 20,000 emus had moved into Western Australia, destroying, consuming crops, and damaging fencing.
The livelihoods of the veterans were further threatened and greater implications on the heavily agricultural economy developed. Government intervention was now a necessity and their response was as unique as the situation. Conventionally, the agricultural department would have offered financial relief to farmers, or even encouraged the use of biological control as a deterrent. Sir George Pearce, Minister of Defence, was better known as the ‘Minister of the Emu War’ for deciding to take military action against this pest problem.
Major Meredith and his men arrived in Western Australia, keen to deal with this internal issue swiftly, armed with 2 Lewis machine guns and over 10,000 rounds of ammunition. Expectations were that the population of emus would be reduced heavily with ease. Reality, on the other hand, was a starkly defied their expectations. On the 4th of November, in one of the first of these peculiar confrontations, soldiers approached a group of over 50 emus, near to Campion. Having opened fire, to their astonishment, the animals scattered and disappeared from the scene. They proved far too rapid for the planned accurate targeting, with just a handful falling victim to the desperate soldiers. Scientists confirmed that the emus could reach speeds of over 30 mph, giving them the ability to outrun, with ease, any threat in their environment.
In an attempt to improve their chances of success, Meredith adjusted his tactics: mounting a machine gun onto a truck, to chase down birds, seeking to combat the surprising speed and agility of the birds. This, however, only exacerbated the peril and failings of the operation, with the rough terrain making accurate shooting even more difficult. A soldier even recounted his vehicle being taken out by a fence before his cohort had fired a successful shot.
The media’s obsessive coverage made this experience all the more embarrassing. The Sydney Morning Herald frequently ridiculed the efforts, mockingly suggesting that the ‘Emu command has proved invincible’. Ambush attempts repeatedly brought similar results of failure, with thousands of rounds being fired and casualties remaining in the low hundreds. This was an insignificant dent to the enormous emu population in the West and provided no benefit in improving the crop crisis. To make matters worse, it seemed that the birds could withstand direct hits due to their dense feathers and muscular bodies Major Meredith even remarked that they ‘can face machine guns with the vulnerability of tanks’ and expressed that ‘if we had a military division with the bullet carrying capacity of these birds, it could face any army in the world’.
The adaptability of the emus proved harder for the soldiers than expected. The army had underestimated the intelligence of the birds, who had quickly learned to avoid open areas and move in smaller groups, meaning it was near impossible for large numbers of casualties to be inflicted by the machine guns. Newspaper reports from Western Australia expressed the emus as ‘moving with military precision’, with their evasive behaviour making them remarkably difficult targets. One soldier in a state of frustration even suggested ‘they seemed to know exactly when and where we were going to be’.
After nearly six weeks of conflict marked by significant inefficiency on the part of the Australians, Meredith’s operation was called off. The campaign was widely regarded as a huge failure, with over 2,500 rounds being fired to no avail, killing under 1,000 emus and bringing great public mockery to the government. The Adelaide News published a satirical comic strip, which suggested that the birds should be awarded medals of honour, for their resilience, and the Melbourne Argus famously declared the ‘Great Emu Offensive’ a complete rout. The military’s efforts had been in vain and tens of thousands of emus were able to wreak havoc on farms across the west.
With resources now diverted back to the government, it was able to implement more effective methods of control. Farmers were encouraged to erect exclusion fences in place of the old frail fencing, which better protected the crops. Furthermore, a bounty system was introduced that encouraged the hunting of the emu population. Over time, these measures were efficiently implemented, succeeding where the military force had not.
Ultimately, the Emu War stands as a testament to nature’s ability to defy human intervention. The birds had no understanding of national policies, the economic struggle around it or any military strategy, yet managed to outmanoeuvre an organised campaign which sought to destroy them. Ironically, the very same animal that once defied military intervention from the Australian military, stands as an emblem of its own national strength and identity alongside the traditionally associated kangaroo. In doing so, they left behind a legacy which remains one of the enduring stories in Australian history: when birds defeated Australia, a victory of animals over man.
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Bibliography:
The Sydney Morning Herald – ‘Soldiers VS Emus – A strange War in Western Australia’ November 9th 1932
The West Australian – ‘Military effort to cull emu flocks begins’ November 4th 1932
Dominic Serventy and Hubert Whittell – Birds of Western Australia – 1948
Glen McLaren and William Cooper – Big Mobs; The story of Australian Doving – 2001
Murray Johnson – ‘The Great Emu War of 1932; Western Australias Machine-Gun failiure’ – p145-147 – 2005
Bill Gammage – The Biggest estate on Earth: How Aborigines made Australia, Sydney – 2018
Australian Geographic – Looking back: Australia’s Emu Wars
Museums of History – Soldier Settlement Guide – 2013