The Great Emu War
When Australia Fought Giant Birds—and Lost
War stories are usually about humans battling humans. But in 1932, Australia found itself in a very different kind of conflict—one where the enemy had feathers, long legs, and absolutely no fear of machine guns. This was The Great Emu War, a bizarre military campaign where Australian soldiers took on thousands of emus in the Outback, only to be humiliated by the very birds they were trying to eliminate.
It sounds like satire, something out of a comedy sketch, only it really happened. Australia declared war on a bunch of oversized, flightless birds… and the birds won. So, how did this all unfold? How did trained soldiers with guns lose to emus? And why is this still one of the most hilariously tragic moments in military history?
Let’s dive into the ridiculous, real-life story of Australia’s most embarrassing defeat.
Why Did Australia Declare War on Emus?
The Great Emu War didn’t happen because the Australian government suddenly decided it hated birds. It all started with a serious agricultural crisis.
After World War I, the Australian government encouraged soldiers returning from battle to settle on farms in Western Australia. The idea was to turn them into wheat farmers, helping both the veterans and the country’s agricultural economy. But there was a problem: farming in the Australian Outback is brutal. The land was tough, rainfall was unpredictable, and by the early 1930s, the Great Depression had tanked wheat prices. Farmers were struggling to survive.
Then came the emus.
These large, flightless birds—essentially six-foot-tall, 100-pound tanks with feathers—started migrating west in search of food and water. And guess what they found? Fields of wheat planted by struggling farmers. To an emu, this was an all-you-can-eat buffet, and thousands of them poured into farmland, trampling crops and devouring whatever they could find. By some estimates, there were over 20,000 emus wreaking havoc on Western Australia’s wheat fields.
Farmers were desperate. The emus weren’t just eating their crops; they were destroying fences, making it easier for rabbits (another invasive problem) to come in and make things even worse. The farmers turned to the government for help.
And the government’s response? Send in the military.
The Battle Begins: Machine Guns vs. Birds
In November 1932, Australia’s Minister of Defence, Sir George Pearce, approved a plan to send soldiers armed with machine guns to deal with the emu problem. Yes, you read that right—machine guns. The idea was simple: If we can mow down enemy soldiers in battle, surely we can take out some oversized birds.
The Australian forces consisted of:
Major G.P.W. Meredith leading the operation
Two soldiers armed with Lewis machine guns
10,000 rounds of ammunition
A truck (because why not?)
This wasn’t just pest control—it was full-blown warfare.
First Encounter: The Birds Outsmart the Soldiers
On November 2, 1932, the troops set out into the Emu-infested farmland, ready for a quick and decisive victory. The first battle did not go as planned.
Spotting a large group of emus, the soldiers set up their machine guns and opened fire. The first few shots hit some birds, but most scattered instantly. The emus weren’t standing still like easy targets—they were running at full speed, zigzagging in unpredictable directions. The machine gunners struggled to keep up.
Some birds were wounded but kept running, seemingly unfazed by bullets. One witness later described the emus as having the endurance of “tanks,” able to take multiple hits and just keep going. Within minutes, the entire flock had disappeared into the brush, leaving the soldiers stunned and frustrated.
Score: Emus 1, Australia 0.
The Second Attempt: A Moving Disaster
Determined not to be outdone by birds, the soldiers tried a different strategy. They mounted one of the machine guns on the back of a truck, hoping they could chase the emus down while firing at them.
This did not go well.
The terrain was too rough, making it nearly impossible to aim accurately. The truck bounced violently, the gunner couldn’t get a clear shot, and at one point, they even crashed into a fence. Meanwhile, the emus? They outran the truck.
Yes, they outran a moving vehicle.
Score: Emus 2, Australia 0.
The Final Humiliation
Over the next few days, the soldiers kept trying, firing thousands of rounds at the emus. Reports estimate that only about 200 to 500 birds were killed, while the rest of the 20,000+ emus escaped completely unharmed.
The press had a field day. Newspapers mocked the operation, pointing out that the military had essentially lost a war to birds. One journalist famously wrote that the emus had "won every round so far” and were "invincible.” The government, embarrassed, called off the campaign on November 8, 1932.
Final score: Emus 3, Australia 0.
The Aftermath: What Did Australia Learn?
After the failed military effort, the Australian government tried less extreme methods to deal with the emu problem, including bounties for hunters and better fencing. Eventually, farmers adopted new techniques to protect their crops, but the emu population remained strong.
As for Major Meredith, he later said that if the Australian army had been given a division of emus instead of soldiers, they could have "defeated any army in the world.”
The Great Emu War became a legendary failure, one of history’s strangest battles, proving that sometimes, nature is just smarter and faster than humans.
Why the Great Emu War is Still Hilarious Today
There are plenty of real military disasters in history, but none are quite as ridiculous as this one.
Machine guns vs. birds—and the birds won.
Emus literally outran a truck.
The Australian government gave up after one week.
The press roasted the military so hard that they had to withdraw.
Today, the Great Emu War is remembered as a humorous cautionary tale about underestimating nature. The emus, for their part, are still out there in the Outback, thriving, probably laughing at the memory of 1932 when Australia thought they could be taken down with bullets.
And next time you hear about an “unbeatable” army, just remember: Australia lost to birds.
