Australia's Great Emu War

The conflict had its origins in the aftermath of World War I, when discharged veterans were given land in Western Australia to farm. The Campion district in the Wheatbelt region attracted settlers who cleared land, built fences, and planted wheat. It also attracted emus. With new water sources and cultivated fields offering easy food, the large flightless birds began migrating into farming territory in enormous numbers. A severe drought in 1932 pushed an estimated 20,000 emus into the region. They ate crops, destroyed fences, and created gaps that let rabbits through to do additional damage.

Farmers petitioned the government for help. In November 1932, the Royal Australian Artillery dispatched Major Gwynydd Purves Wynne-Aubrey Meredith, two soldiers, and two Lewis light machine guns to the Campion district. A Fox Movietone cinematographer accompanied them to document what was expected to be a straightforward operation.

It was not. The first engagement took place near the town of Campion, where settlers attempted to herd about 50 emus into an ambush. The birds simply scattered into small groups and ran in different directions, too fast and too spread out to hit effectively. Over the following weeks, the soldiers found that emus were difficult to kill even when shots connected, and that the birds seemed to learn from each encounter. Major Meredith later remarked that the emus could "face machine guns with the invulnerability of tanks."

After about a month of operations, Meredith was recalled. His official report claimed 986 kills using 9,860 rounds—exactly ten bullets per bird—plus an estimated 2,500 wounded. These figures were widely doubted. The operation was mocked in newspapers across Australia and internationally.

Farmers requested military assistance again in 1934, 1943, and 1948. The government declined each time, opting instead for a bounty system. This proved more effective: over 57,000 bounties were paid out in a six-month period in 1934 alone.