Key Facts
- Year conducted
- Late 1932
- Weapon deployed
- Lewis guns
- Military unit
- Royal Australian Artillery
- Target species
- Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
- Location
- Campion district, Wheatbelt, Western Australia
Strategic Narrative Overview
The Royal Australian Artillery deployed soldiers armed with Lewis guns to the Campion district in November 1932. Initial attempts to drive emus into kill zones proved largely ineffective, as the birds scattered and proved difficult targets. Despite multiple sorties and considerable ammunition expended, soldiers were unable to make a meaningful dent in the emu population. Media coverage of the embarrassing results led observers to dub the episode the 'Emu War.'
01 / The Origins
Following World War I, the Australian government granted farmland in the Campion district of Western Australia to returning soldiers. By 1932, large flocks of emus—numbering in the thousands—migrated into the region and caused extensive damage to wheat crops. Farmers petitioned the government for assistance, and the situation drew enough concern to prompt a formal military response to protect agricultural livelihoods in the Wheatbelt.
03 / The Outcome
The military operation was ultimately deemed unsuccessful and withdrawn without achieving its objective. Emu numbers remained high and crop destruction continued. The government later resorted to offering bounties on emus as an alternative control measure. The episode became a widely cited example of wildlife management failure, and the emus were informally regarded as having 'won' the engagement against organised human military force.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.