Australia’s Great Emu War: How A Nation Declared War On A Bird And Lost

In the early 1930s, as the Great Depression ravaged the world and fascism rose in Europe, the Western provinces of Australia faced their own existential crisis- the Great Emu War.

Following the conclusion of the First World War, the Australian government wanted to promote agricultural development in their Western provinces. Their solution was to provide land to discharged veterans to take up farming in the agriculturally marginal region.

What they didn’t know was that one of the world’s fiercest fighting forces lay in wait: some 20,000 emus.

Emus are an intricate part of Australian identity. The flightless birds feature prominently in Aboriginal mythology and culture, and appear on the national coat of arms. The birds stand as tall as six feet high and are capable of reaching 31 miles-per-hour running speed.

If it weren’t for their fluffy feathered coat, it wouldn’t come as a shock to believe you had just seen a velociraptor sprinting through the Australian outback.

...

Limited Time

Full Access

$10
Monthly

Included:

  • Access to All Articles.
  • One Plan. No Tiers.
  • No Ads.
  • Cancel anytime.
register now

 
Do you have a tip or sensitive material to share with GGI? Are you a journalist, researcher or independent blogger and want to write for us? You can reach us at [email protected].