Could you picture a bird army squaring off an actual military power? For one month, that is exactly what happened. Such an absurd and unusual event deserves a thorough look, especially when you look at the very real circumstances which motivated it.
The Soldier Settlement Program
Before diving into the glory of the bird army, there is a bit of real-world history behind things. Upon returning from the Great War, Australian soldiers were offered the chance to purchase lease land in Western Australia. The thought was to provide stable income and vitalize areas that weren’t thriving agriculturally.
Australia’s Wheatbelt
Located in Western Australia, the Wheatbelt is an administratively recognized region devoted to agriculture. Australian veterans would settle in towns like Campion, Bruce Rock, and Lake Grace. Sadly, the prosperous years were threatened in 1932 by the arrival of a massive bird army.
Campion’s Fallow
The arrival of 20,000 emus in 1932 put a damper on the prosperous times in Western Australia. This massive bird army migrated regularly, as any emu does. After the birds breed, they move around to new locations. This migratory pattern led to the devastation of wheat crops throughout Campion.
The Bird Army
After years of broken promises from the Australian government, the wheat crop was being held. While the bird army only exacerbated things, it led to utter devastation for some farms. Further, the lack of relief led to farmers begging for the Australian government to do something about the emus.
The Great Emu War
Subsequently, the Australian military would be deployed to Campion in October of 1932. Armed with a pair of machine guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition, they were ready for war. The first attempt had to be delayed due to rainfall scattering the bird army, a sign of things to come.
A Failed First Attempt
While machine guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition seem like overkill for emus, the truth gets absurd. November 2nd saw the Australian Army ambush 50 emus in a field. However, the fusillades of gunfire did nothing on the first attempt. The second attempt fared a bit better, but only 12 birds would die.
Solid Second Tries
The official record of the Emu War cites around 1,000 birds killed. However, the second attempt saw around 40 or so birds dying despite the machine guns. You do have to wonder if some shotguns or more typical hunting firearms would have worked against the bird army.
Aftermath
Despite the somewhat tragic backdrop, the Emu War is farcical. Thankfully, Australian farmers did get respite thanks to the use of barrier exclusion fencing. The Australian government also instituted a bounty for emus, which resulted in an astonishing 57,000 birds being eliminated.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Marko Bowman/Shutterstock.com.
