The Great Emu War: Did Australia Really Lose to Birds?
In November 1932 Australia really did dispatch artillerymen with machine guns to kill emus in the wheatbelt, and Members of Parliament mocked the operation as a farce. But the famous punchline, that Australia lost a war to flightless birds, compresses a small, botched pest cull by three soldiers into a military defeat.
7 established, 2 disputed, 2 debunked, 2 unresolved. We do not pick an answer; the evidence places each claim. How we decide
45 citations from 10 independent sources - 35 echo the same voices and count once. Graded B1-D1.
Added 3 Jul 2026 - updated 29 Sept 2026
What the four states mean
- Establishedsupported, uncontested
- Disputedcredible sources disagree
- Debunkedrefuted by the evidence
- Unresolvedno settled answer
Established 7supported, uncontested
About 20,000 emus moved into wheat country farmed by former soldiers, trampling crops, and local farmers requested help from the military.▰▰▰▱▱ likely4 points
Supports- When 20,000 emus arrived in Campion, Western Australia in 1932, local farmers requested help from the military.First Dog on the Moon, This is the story of how Australia went to war with emus and lost - The Guardian (2018) summary
- there was nothing to prevent 20,000 emus breaching the perimeter of the wheat-growing region around Campion and Walgoolan in Western Australia.Kyle Hoekstra, The Great Emu War: How Flightless Birds Beat the Australian Army - History Hit (2023) summary
- By 1932, it was populated by increasing numbers of former soldiers, who settled there after World War One to cultivate wheat. Falling wheat prices in the early 1930s and undelivered government subsidies had made farming difficult. Now they found their lands stricken by emu incursions, which left crops trampledKyle Hoekstra, The Great Emu War: How Flightless Birds Beat the Australian Army - History Hit (2023) summary
- Any one who has been i ti a district where emus are plentiful knows that the birds actually roll down the crops.Senate Debates, 18 November 1932, 'Destruction of Emus' (Historic Hansard) primary
Settlers and wheat-growers, not the army, were to cover the cost of the ammunition, and a lien was taken over settlers' crops.▰▰▰▱▱ likely3 points
Supports- Soldier settlers and civilian wheat-growers had accepted responsibility for covering the cost of 10,000 rounds of ammunition allocated for the 'Emu War' in 1932. The Agricultural Bank reimbursed military authorities on their behalf with a lien then being taken over the settlers' crops.Murray Johnson, 'Feathered foes': Soldier settlers and Western Australia's 'Emu War' of 1932, Journal of Australian Studies 30:88 (2006), abstract analysis
- I was asked to allow machine guns belonging to the Defence Department to be used for the destruction of the birds, the farmers undertaking to pay for the necessary ammunition.Senate Debates, 18 November 1932, 'Destruction of Emus' (Historic Hansard) primary
- Is it a fact that on behalf of the Defense Department the Kellerberrin Branch of the Agricultural Bank (Western Australia) lately sent an account for £24 to Mr. D. J. O'Leary, of Walgoolan, Western Australia, for payment of the full cost of the ammunition usedCook & Jovanovic, 'The Emu Strikes Back: An Inquiry into Australia's Peculiar Military Action of 1932', Romanian Journal of Historical Studies II:1 (2019) analysis
In November 1932 a Lewis machine-gun party of the Royal Australian Artillery was sent to shoot emus in Western Australia.▰▰▰▱▱ likely3 points
Supports- The third day of the emu war opened with a daylight attack on big flocks by the machine gun party sent up from Perth to rid the district of these destructive pests.EMU WAR - Third Day Light Casualties - The Telegraph (Brisbane), 7 November 1932 (Trove) primary
- It was on the morning of November 2nd that Major GPW Meredith of the Seventh Heavy Battery of the Royal Australian Artillery, along with Sergeant S McMurray and Gunner J O'Halloran, first opened fire. They used a Lewis automatic machine gunCook & Jovanovic, 'The Emu Strikes Back: An Inquiry into Australia's Peculiar Military Action of 1932', Romanian Journal of Historical Studies II:1 (2019) analysis
- to withdraw the Lewis gunners who have been in action against emus in the Campion district.EMU WAR ENDS - The West Australian, 10 November 1932 (Trove) primary
In the operation's first days the emus split into small groups, a gun jammed during an ambush, and a truck-mounted gun proved ineffective.▰▰▰▱▱ likelysummary-sourced3 points
Supports- On 2 November, locals tried to herd emus towards an ambush, but they split into small groups. On 4 November, an ambush on some 1,000 birds was foiled by a gun jamming.Kyle Hoekstra, The Great Emu War: How Flightless Birds Beat the Australian Army - History Hit (2023) summary
- To this end, Major Meredith mounted one of the guns on a truck to enable firing at the birds while moving. It was as ineffective as their ambushes. The truck was too slow, and the ride was so rough that the gunner couldn't fire anyway.Kyle Hoekstra, The Great Emu War: How Flightless Birds Beat the Australian Army - History Hit (2023) summary
- A few days into operations, a planned ambush by a dam failed miserably when one of the Lewis guns jammed. A later attempt to mount a machine-gun on a truck fell apart when it was made apparent that the vehicle could not keep up with the birds.Looking back: Australia's Emu Wars - Australian Geographic (2016) summary
In the House of Representatives the operation was called a farce, and one member said the emus had won every round so far.▰▰▰▱▱ likely3 points
Supports- Mr. Thorby (U.C.P., N.S.W.) . in the House of Representatives, asked the Prime Minister (Mr. Lyons) who was responsible for the farce of hunting emus with machine guns in West-ern Australia, and who was bearing the cost.WAR ON EMUS - Withdrawal of Machine Guns Ordered - Sydney Morning Herald, 9 November 1932 (Trove) primary
- Mr. James (State Lab., N.S.W.) : Is a medal to be struck for those taking part in this war. Mr. A. E. Green (F. Lab., W.A.) : The emus have won every round so far.WAR ON EMUS - Withdrawal of Machine Guns Ordered - Sydney Morning Herald, 9 November 1932 (Trove) primary
- On 22 November 1932, Mr Rosevear asked who was paying the cost “of what is known as the ‘Emu war’”, “Who suggested the use of machine guns and trained troops and officers?”, and “is it a fact that the operations have been an expensive failure”?Cook & Jovanovic, 'The Emu Strikes Back: An Inquiry into Australia's Peculiar Military Action of 1932', Romanian Journal of Historical Studies II:1 (2019) analysis
Later bounty schemes were judged more effective against emus than the military cull.▰▰▰▱▱ likelysummary-sourced2 points
Supports- The operation may have saved some wheat, but the effectiveness of the cull paled next to the strategy of offering bounties to rifle-wielding farmers. By contrast, farmers managed to claim 57,034 bounties over six months in 1934.Kyle Hoekstra, The Great Emu War: How Flightless Birds Beat the Australian Army - History Hit (2023) summary
- in the end it was the instituting of a bounty on emus that proved most effective.Looking back: Australia's Emu Wars - Australian Geographic (2016) summary
Newspapers were calling the operation the 'emu war' while it was under way in November 1932.▰▰▱▱▱ likely3 points
Supports- The third day of the emu war opened with a daylight attack on big flocks by the machine gun party sent up from PerthEMU WAR - Third Day Light Casualties - The Telegraph (Brisbane), 7 November 1932 (Trove) primary
- Emu War Still On CAMPION. Wednesday.Emu War Still On - The News (Adelaide), 9 November 1932 (Trove) primary
- EMU WAR ENDS. GUNNERS WITHDRAWN. Defence Minister's Instructions.EMU WAR ENDS - The West Australian, 10 November 1932 (Trove) primary
Disputed 2credible sources disagree
How many emus the operation killed is disputed: the commander's claim of 986 killed plus 2,500 dying of injury has been called likely inflated.▰▰▰▱▱ likely1 against3 points
Supports- The commander claimed 986 kills with 9,860 rounds used, with a further 2,500 dying of injury. This figure, however, is highly disputed and is likely to be very inflated.Greg Beyer, The Great Emu War: When Australians Lost to Flightless Birds - TheCollector (2023) summary
- So far 1,870 rounds have been fired by Lewis gunners in the emu war and the casualties are estimated at nearly 300.Emu War Still On - The News (Adelaide), 9 November 1932 (Trove) primary
Against- Forty-five days after the start of the campaign, the soldiers had killed only about 2,500 emusThe bizarre story of when Australia went to war with emus - and lost - National Geographic (2024) summary
Whether the cull helped the farmers is disputed: some accounts say it left them no better off, others that it may have saved some wheat.▰▰▰▱▱ roughly even chance2 against4 points
Supports- Forty-five days after the start of the campaign, the soldiers had killed only about 2,500 emus - a fraction of the population - leaving the farmers no better off.The bizarre story of when Australia went to war with emus - and lost - National Geographic (2024) summary
- Despite the claimed success of the cull, the emus continued to destroy crops.Greg Beyer, The Great Emu War: When Australians Lost to Flightless Birds - TheCollector (2023) summary
Against- The operation may have saved some wheatKyle Hoekstra, The Great Emu War: How Flightless Birds Beat the Australian Army - History Hit (2023) summary
- I was informed that the guns had been effective, for hundreds of birds had been shot, and that since the cessation of the shooting the birds had returned in thousands.Senate Debates, 18 November 1932, 'Destruction of Emus' (Historic Hansard) primary
Debunked 2refuted by the evidence
Australia went to war with emus and lost.Refuted by
I ultimately agreed to allow three members of the permanent military personnel to go into this district with the guns
refuted3 against6 pointsThe claim rested on- This is the story of how Australia went to war with emus and lostFirst Dog on the Moon, This is the story of how Australia went to war with emus and lost - The Guardian (2018) summary
- In the Great Emu War of 1932, the Australian military went to war against a species of native flightless bird called Emus, and lost.Greg Beyer, The Great Emu War: When Australians Lost to Flightless Birds - TheCollector (2023) summary
- One of those defeats was not suffered at the hands of a rival military force, but a flightless bird running amok in Western Australia.Ben Hill, How a group of Australian farmers convinced the government to declare war on emus - Daily Mail Australia (2018) summary
Refuted by- I ultimately agreed to allow three members of the permanent military personnel to go into this district with the gunsSenate Debates, 18 November 1932, 'Destruction of Emus' (Historic Hansard) primary
- machine gun crew from Perth will set about the wholesale destruction of emus.MACHINE GUNS WILL BE USED AGAINST EMUS - Evening News (Rockhampton), 17 October 1932 (Trove) primary
- the media reports framed it as a series of comedic capers that wouldn't seem out of place in a Looney Tunes cartoon.Greg Beyer, The Great Emu War: When Australians Lost to Flightless Birds - TheCollector (2023) summary
The army withdrew from the operation because the emus defeated it.Refuted by
That mes-sage stated that it was believed that the defence authorities at headquarters did not desire to have a precedent set in the destruction of noxious birds and animals in such a manner.
refuted3 against5 pointsThe claim rested on- with scarcely a victory of any consequence to its credit the Army finally ingloriously withdrew to the accompaniment of a tirade of abuse from all sides.Cook & Jovanovic, 'The Emu Strikes Back: An Inquiry into Australia's Peculiar Military Action of 1932', Romanian Journal of Historical Studies II:1 (2019) analysis
- On 8 November, an embarrassed Sir George Pearce withdrew the troops from the front line.Kyle Hoekstra, The Great Emu War: How Flightless Birds Beat the Australian Army - History Hit (2023) summary
Refuted by- That mes-sage stated that it was believed that the defence authorities at headquarters did not desire to have a precedent set in the destruction of noxious birds and animals in such a manner.EMU WAR ENDS - The West Australian, 10 November 1932 (Trove) primary
- Assuming those paragraphs to be correct, I issued the instruction that the guns and crew should be withdrawn. This action caused a storm of protest from the people in these wheat areas, and also from the Premier of that StateSenate Debates, 18 November 1932, 'Destruction of Emus' (Historic Hansard) primary
- I then agreed that the guns and crew should be returned to the area.Senate Debates, 18 November 1932, 'Destruction of Emus' (Historic Hansard) primary
Unresolved 2no settled answer
Meredith's remarks about the emus' toughness survive in differing versions, one in a 1932 press report and another in a 1953 retrospective.▰▰▰▱▱ likely3 points
Supports- Major Meredith speaking of their invulnerability, said to-day: "It is more than astonishing. It is miraculous. If I had a division of men who could carry bullets like that I would take on any army in the world."EMU WAR - Third Day Light Casualties - The Telegraph (Brisbane), 7 November 1932 (Trove) primary
- The most prolific source found was one particular article from The Sunday Herald, titled New Strategy in a War on the Emu, published two decades later, on 5 July 1953, looking back on the events of 1932Cook & Jovanovic, 'The Emu Strikes Back: An Inquiry into Australia's Peculiar Military Action of 1932', Romanian Journal of Historical Studies II:1 (2019) analysis
- He sighed: "If we had a military division with the bullet-carrying capacity of these birds it would face any army in the world. ‘They can face machine-guns with the invulnerability of tanks. They are like Zulus whom even dum-dum bullets could not stop.’Cook & Jovanovic, 'The Emu Strikes Back: An Inquiry into Australia's Peculiar Military Action of 1932', Romanian Journal of Historical Studies II:1 (2019) analysis
Why Major Meredith is so thinly documented is unanswered; researchers found sources on him extremely scarce.▰▰▱▱▱ likely3 points
Supports- Additionally, sources on Major Meredith were found out to be extremely scarce, arguably for the same reason.Cook & Jovanovic, 'The Emu Strikes Back: An Inquiry into Australia's Peculiar Military Action of 1932', Romanian Journal of Historical Studies II:1 (2019) analysis
- Was G.P.W. Meredith the victim of damnatio memoriae due to the denigrating results of the military endeavor?Cook & Jovanovic, 'The Emu Strikes Back: An Inquiry into Australia's Peculiar Military Action of 1932', Romanian Journal of Historical Studies II:1 (2019) analysis
- At this point, we are unable to answer this question beyond the simple conjecture.Cook & Jovanovic, 'The Emu Strikes Back: An Inquiry into Australia's Peculiar Military Action of 1932', Romanian Journal of Historical Studies II:1 (2019) analysis
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