The Emu War: A Deep Dive Into Australia's Feathered Fiasco

After the horrors of World War I, the Australian Federal Government gave thousands of discharged veterans money, land and the promise of a bright and happy agricultural life in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. Life as a farmer wasn’t easy, but at least these veterans had seen the last of the battlefield. Or so they thought. 

 

The war was over but followed soon after by the great depression in 1929. Hoping to ease the pressure and literally put bread on the table for Australians, the Federal Government promised subsidies to the new farmers to increase their crop production. Wheat prices began to fall and farmers were left wanting when the subsidies never came. The farmers were screwed. And on top of all of this, they found themselves in a battle with an unexpected adversary, pillaging their wheat and destroying their rabbit fences: the emu.

 

As if plummeting wheat prices and broken promises weren't enough, the veterans-turned-farmers found themselves neck to ample neck with a literal army of emus. 20,000 birds had descended upon the wheat fields (coincidentally smack bang in the middle of their migration route), wreaking havoc on crop yields and perimeter infrastructure. The solution was, of course, clear to these battle-hardened farmers: Guns. Lots of guns. 

 

CHAPTERS:

• 00:00 The Hardest Animals to Kill with a Gun
• 02:36 The Plight of World War I Vets Turned Farmers
• 05:06 The Arrival of the Emus
• 07:58 The Farmers' Plea for Machine Guns
• 12:04 Let the Emu War Begin
• 15:50 First Battle Tactics and Failures
• 17:34 Emus: Tough as Lead
• 21:47 Australian Parliament discusses Emu Wars
• 24:38 The War Continues until 1960
• 28:56 Bounty Put in Place to End the War
• 30:02 The Emu War Becomes a Movie

 

 

SOURCES:

• • Looking back: Australia's Emu Wars - Australian Geographic by Jasper Garner Gore October 18, 2016
  • 19 Nov 1932 - "EMU WAR" DEFENDED. - Trove
  • Emu War - Wikipedia
  • BBC Earth - The Great Emu War in Western Australia was a... | Facebook
  • Australia's Emu War spawns feature film, jokes and memes 90 years on - ABC News
  • Australia’s emu war: John Cleese outrun in race to shoot movie of how flightless birds thwarted army’s machine guns
  • Australia Once Lost a War With the Mighty Emu | by Matthew Gault | War Is Boring | Medium
  • Are Emus Dangerous? (Reasons They Attack + How To Avoid) | Birdfact
  • Trailer Drops for Monster Fest 2023 Official Selection THE EMU WAR

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