The Great Emu War of 1932

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key people, events, weapons, and historical context of Australia's Great Emu War of 1932.

The Great Emu War

A 1932 conflict in Western Australia where military soldiers armed with Lewis machine guns were deployed to cull an estimated 20,000 emus damaging wheat fields.

Major Meredith

An officer of the Royal Australian Artillery who commanded the small military team dispatched to shoot emus during the 1932 campaign.

Lewis machine gun

The weapon type issued to Major Meredith's soldiers, who were equipped with two of these guns and approximately ten thousand bullets to target emus.

Royal Australian Artillery

The branch of the Australian military to which Major Meredith belonged when leading the 1932 mission against the emus.

Great Depression

The worldwide economic downturn of the early 1930s that caused wheat prices to fall sharply, leaving soldier-farmers in Western Australia close to financial ruin.

Emu evasion strategy

The defensive behavior exhibited by emus during the 1932 military operation, dividing into small groups and scattering across rough terrain to avoid concentrated machine-gun fire.

Post-war bounty system

The alternative method adopted by the Australian government following the military withdrawal, offering monetary rewards to farmers and hunters for each emu killed.

Australian national coat of arms

The official national emblem on which the emu is depicted alongside the kangaroo.