August M
In the early 1930s, Australia found itself locked in an unlikely confrontation.
What began as an attempt to protect farmland from crop damage turned into one of the strangest military episodes in modern history, reports National Geographic.
Farmers under pressure
After World War I, thousands of returning soldiers were granted land in Western Australia under government settlement schemes.
But poor soil, erratic rainfall and harsh conditions made farming difficult. When a severe drought struck in 1932, nearly 20,000 emus moved into cultivated areas in search of food, trampling crops and breaking fences.
According to National Geographic, frustrated farmers appealed to the government for help, prompting an extraordinary response.
Soldiers vs. birds
On November 2, 1932, three soldiers from the Royal Australian Artillery arrived armed with two Lewis machine guns. Their objective was to reduce the emu population and safeguard farmland.
What officials expected to be a swift operation quickly unraveled. In the first days, only a few dozen birds were killed as the emus scattered into smaller groups, making them difficult targets.
“I think back in the day they underestimated the species,” says Sarah Comacchio, a zookeeper at Taronga Zoo, Sydney. “They were quite unsuccessful because emus are such fast, agile birds.”
Machine guns jammed, trucks struggled to keep up and reports spread of birds sprinting at speeds of up to 55 miles per hour.
The officer leading the operation, Gwynydd Purves Wynne-Aubrey Meredith, later remarked, “Emus could face machine guns with the invulnerability of tanks.”
After 45 days, about 2,500 emus had been killed—far fewer than intended. The campaign was abandoned, widely viewed as a costly failure.
Built for survival
The episode highlighted the remarkable resilience of emus. Standing nearly six feet tall, the flightless birds can travel long distances and are capable of sustained high speeds.
“They are dispersive rather than migratory. Their movements are somewhat unpredictable and can occur in any direction,” says Rowan Mott, an ecologist with the Bush Heritage Foundation.
During droughts, normally scattered birds gather in large flocks, amplifying their impact on farmland.
Ecological and cultural icon
Beyond their physical endurance, emus play a significant ecological role. As opportunistic feeders, they disperse seeds across vast distances, aiding plant regeneration.
Comacchio notes their importance in spreading quandong, a native fruit that supports other wildlife. “Emus dispersal of those seeds is a big benefit to the ecosystem, benefiting everyone in turn,” she says.
Emus also hold deep cultural meaning. They feature in some First Nations Aboriginal creation stories and appear on Australia’s coat of arms and currency.
Today, protected under environmental law, more than 600,000 wild emus roam the continent—living reminders of a surreal chapter in Australian history.
Source: Reporting by National Geographic.
