Beneath the Shadows

BONUS SHADOWS! - Feathers vs. Firepower: Australia’s Emu War of 1932

Travis Fenn

In 1932, Australia waged an unconventional war—not against another nation, but against a seemingly unstoppable enemy: emus. Armed with machine guns and military strategy, soldiers were sent to Western Australia to combat an invasion of flightless birds destroying farmlands. What followed was a bizarre and often comical battle that saw thousands of bullets fired, but victory remained out of reach. Today, we dive deep into the infamous Emu War, exploring the reasons behind it, the soldiers’ struggles, and how the resilient birds ultimately outmaneuvered modern weaponry. Was this a simple miscalculation or a testament to nature’s dominance? 

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