The Emu War, also known as the Great Emu War, was a nuisance wildlife management military operation undertaken in Australia over the later part of 1932 to address public concern over the number of emus said to be running amok in the Campion district of Western Australia. The unsuccessful attempts to curb the population of emus, a large flightless bird indigenous to Australia, employed soldiers armed with Lewis guns—leading the emus to be named victors.
What was the Emu War?
The Emu War was an unsuccessful pest control operation conducted in late 1932 to address wild emu populations in the Campion district of Western Australia that had been damaging crops. With drought reducing natural food sources, large flocks of emus were encroaching on farmland in search of sustenance. Despite farmers’ efforts to repel the birds with fencing and shooting, the emu flocks persisted.
Responding to pleas from farmers, the Australian government deployed a small force of soldiers with machine guns in an attempt to curb the emu population. However, the emus proved remarkably resilient against the soldiers’ efforts, with the birds dispersing and re-congregating after confrontations. Within weeks, the government withdrew its forces and conceded defeat to the emus.
Though a colossal failure as a means of pest control, the episode captured public imagination and became immortalized as the “Emu War” for its absurd imagery of soldiers battling obstinate emus. It highlighted the challenges that Australian settlers faced from native wildlife and remains a bemusing example of creative but ineffective problem-solving.
When did the Emu War take place?
The Emu War occurred over the course of November and December 1932 in Western Australia. Events began in October 1932, when a deputation of farmers from the Campion district met with the Minister of Defence to request assistance dealing with a troublesome local emu population that was damaging crops and fences. The military operation to address the emu nuisance officially commenced on November 2nd, 1932. After initial failed attempts, a second deployment of machine gunners took place between November 12th and December 2nd. By December 10th, the government had decided to abandon further action, marking the conclusion of the Emu War.
The Emu War took place over a period of just one month, but long enough to show the futility of the military action against the evasive emus. The brief conflict highlighted that the birds would not be easily deterred by force. Despite its short duration, the episode left a lasting impression on the Australian public consciousness.
Background
What events led up to the Emu War?
A few key factors led to the Emu War in 1932:
– Drought and economic depression – Years of drought and the Great Depression increased emus’ encroachment on farmlands as they searched more widely for food and water.
– Increased emu population – With fewer natural predators, the emu population had increased significantly by the 1920s-1930s. Their growing numbers brought them into greater conflict with humans.
– Farm damage – Groups of emus were damaging wheat crops and fences. Farmers complained that the birds could not be scared off.
– Prior failed attempts – Farmers had already tried various methods to curb the emu population, including shooting at them and putting up fencing, but the emus persisted.
– Political pressure – Farm lobby groups pushed the government to take more definitive action against the emu nuisance. Politicians felt increasing pressure to solve the problem.
The unmanageable scale of the emu “plague” led the government to deploy military force, setting the stage for the conflict known as the Emu War.
Why were the emus considered a nuisance?
The large populations of emus roaming areas of Western Australia in 1932 were deemed a nuisance for the following reasons:
– Crop damage – With natural food sources constrained by drought, emus increasingly encroached on farmlands to eat wheat crops. Farmers reported large losses from the birds’ appetite.
– Fence damage – Groups of emus damaged fences as they passed through properties, leaving vulnerable gaps that allowed rabbits and other pests to enter crops and grazing lands.
– Persistence – Emu flocks were not easily scared off once they descended on an area. Shootings and other deterrents only temporarily relocated them.
– Droppings – Large emu flocks left behind a considerable mess from their droppings that farmers had to clear up.
– Economic impact – During a time of economic depression, the crop losses and property damage inflicted by emus added further financial strain on struggling farmers.
The emus’ eating habits, nomadic nature, and resilience to deterrents made them highly disruptive pests in the eyes of local farmers. The agricultural damage spurred demands for definitive government action.
The Emu War Campaign
What tactics did the Australian military use against the emus?
The Australian military tried the following tactics in their attempts to curb the emu population:
– Machine guns – Soldiers were equipped with Lewis machine guns to shoot large numbers of emus when flocks were located.
– Ambushing water sources – Troops tried ambushing emus at watering holes used by the birds.
– Diversionary tactics – Attempts were made to herd emus toward established military gun lines using trucks and other noise-making methods.
– Divide and conquer – Soldiers tried separating emu flocks into smaller groups to reduce their defensive capacity and make them easier targets.
However, the emus proved highly resilient against these military methods. Their speed and mobility allowed them to dodge gunfire, quickly reunite with other birds when separated, and become nearly impossible targets for the soldiers.
When did military personnel first engage the emus?
The first major military engagement against emus took place on November 2, 1932. After the initial approval of military assistance in October, the Australian government sent out a small force of soldiers from the Seventh Heavy Battery of the Royal Australian Artillery to the Campion district along with two Lewis machine guns. On November 2nd, the troops confronted a flock of approximately 50 emus outside a local farm. The soldiers managed to gun down a number of the birds, but the bulk of the flock split into small groups and ran off unscathed into the scrub. This first clash set the stage for an ultimately one-sided conflict favoring the resilient emus.
How many soldiers took part in the Emu War operations?
The total number of soldiers who participated in the Emu War was relatively small, given the expansive terrain the conflict covered. Some of the key details:
– First deployment – Only 2 soldiers were sent out on the initial operation on November 2, 1932.
– Second deployment – A slightly larger force of about half a dozen men conducted operations after November 12.
– No more than 10 – Historians estimate that no more than 10 soldiers took part in the Emu War in total, operating in small teams.
– Additional assistance – Some local settlers assisted in operations, though not officially enlisted.
– Minimal personnel – The government seemed to consider the emu problem a minor issue undeserving of major troop deployments.
The tiny scale of the forces highlights the overconfidence that officials had in expecting a few men with machine guns to easily solve the emu problem. However, the emus proved more difficult adversaries than anticipated.
What was the outcome of the first emu confrontation?
The first direct confrontation between Australian forces and emus on November 2, 1932 ended in decisively poor results:
– Surprise attack failed – Despite attempting to surprise a large emu flock, many of the birds swiftly fled the ambush.
– Less than 50 killed – Out of an estimated flock of 500-1000 emus, no more than 50 were gunned down.
– Majority escaped – The bulk of targeted emus successfully escaped into the scrubland and could not be tracked down.
– Little lasting impact – The flock reemerged after the troops departed and continued ravaging crops, rendering the attack pointless.
– Waste of resources – The time, ammunition, and manpower expended resulted in minimal damage to the emu population.
– Dented confidence – The ease with which emus evaded gunfire and re-amassed caused embarrassment and damaged military confidence.
Overall, this small-scale confrontation demonstrated that machine guns were an ineffective strategy against the emus’ speed and resilience. It foreshadowed the wider failure to come.
Why were the emus so difficult for the soldiers to defeat?
The emus presented immense challenges for the Australian soldiers for the following reasons:
– Speed and mobility – Emus could run up to 30 mph, allowing them to quickly flee ambushes.
– Camouflage – Their drab brown feathers provided natural camouflage in the scrub landscape, making them difficult targets.
– Dispersion instinct – When threatened, emus naturally split into smaller groups and run in different directions, making them nearly impossible to wipe out.
– Resilience – Even when struck by multiple bullets, emus often survived and fled. Their loose feathers seemed to limit lethal damage.
– Cleverness – Emus appeared able to adapt their tactics, learning to hide better after initial attacks.
– Unfamiliar terrain – Soldiers lacked knowledge of the land, while emus excelled in the native bush.
– Sparse resources – Only a handful of troops with limited ammunition were deployed over a vast range.
The emus’ natural advantages allowed them to frustrate the military efforts against them. It became clear that more sophisticated methods would be needed to overcome the challenges posed by the crafty birds.
Aftermath and Analysis
Why did the Australian government ultimately withdraw from the conflict?
By December 1932, the Australian government decided to concede defeat and withdraw from further action against the emus for several reasons:
– Minimal impact – Operations had killed very few emus relative to the total population. Flocks easily regrouped after confrontations.
– Waste of resources – Significant time, ammunition, and manpower had been wasted for negligible results.
– Bad press – News coverage of the ineffective campaign had become a national embarrassment. The government wanted to end the ridicule.
– Lack of new tactics – There seemed no viable military solutions left to try against the emus’ advantages on land. Alternative methods would be needed.
– Priorities elsewhere – With economic depression and looming global tensions, the emu conflict was an unnecessary distraction for the nation’s leadership.
– Farmers losing patience – Continued crop destruction by emus turned some farmers against the flailing military effort. They pushed for new solutions.
Admitting failure was likely an easier choice for the government than continuing an absurd-looking war with no end in sight against the mighty emu.
Was the Emu War a total failure?
While the Emu War failed in its goal of reducing Western Australia’s emu population, it was not a total failure:
– Raised awareness – It highlighted to the public the extent of the crop damage emus could cause.
– Drove innovation – In the aftermath, the government devoted more resources to developing emu-proof fencing and other non-lethal deterrents.
– Lowered emu confidence – Some historians argue emus became warier of encroaching on farms after the confrontations.
– Provided employment – Locals had been hired to collect emu carcasses and their skins were sold.
– Valuable lessons – Militaries learned the limits of using heavy weaponry on massive mobile wildlife targets.
– Entertaining story – As a humorous example of humans battling nature, the Emu War became a cultural touchstone in Australia.
So while failed in its immediate aims, the Emu War did yield some collateral benefits for Australian society and culture beyond just embarrassment. The absurd conflict was not without some minor merits in the longer view.
Who or what was ultimately victorious in the Emu War?
Despite the best efforts of the Australian infantry, the clear victors of the Emu War were the emus:
– Minimal losses – Only a few hundred emus were killed – a tiny fraction of their tens of thousands strong mobs.
– Persistence – Emu flocks continued ravaging Western Australian farms through the end of 1932 and beyond.
– Unwavering habits – The emus showed no signs of being deterred from their migrations and grazing on croplands.
– Greater adaptation – The emus proved more tactical than the soldiers, blending into the environment and swiftly scattering when threatened.
– Government withdrawal – Within weeks the government retreated, conceding that brute military force could not overcome the troublesome birds.
– Cultural fame – The emus emerged as absurd heroes who had triumphed over the human military despite the odds stacked against them.
Against the ineffective human efforts, the emus proved the smarter, faster, and ultimately more resilient adversary. Their victory established them as icons of Australia’s distinctive wildlife.
Conclusion
The short-lived Emu War stands as one of the oddest confrontations in history between man and beast. Though the Australian troops deployed against marauding emus came heavily armed, they proved no match for the birds’ speed, cunning, and ability to absorb bullets. After less than a month of futile efforts to curb emu crop raids in Western Australia, the government withdrew in defeat. The emus had won the bizarre battle, showing their ability to outmaneuver human technology and military strategy. As an illuminating example of wildlife triumphing through its tenacity and adaptability, the Emu War remains a fascinating if ludicrous episode marking Australian settlers’ struggles to coexist with the continent’s native fauna.
