“When Emus Invaded: The Unlikely Conflict of 1932 Australia”

Daily writing prompt

What historical event fascinates you the most?

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In 1932, following WWI, Ralph tirelessly toiled in his expansive wheat and barley fields in western Australia, enduring the scorching summer sun. This particular summer proved to be especially difficult, as an intense drought had caused the emus to venture further inland in desperation for luscious vegetation and precious water sources. These large, flightless birds developed an hearty appetite for the crops that Ralph and his fellow farmers had worked so diligently to grow; they were particularly fond of the golden wheat, ripe barley, tender leafy greens, and tasty fruits as well as nuts and seeds.

Ralph and many other farmers were overwhelmed by the emu infestation. If the birds continued to ravage their crop, there would be nothing for their families and their fields would be only memories. In despair, they couldn’t protect their fields, despite their best efforts. Nothing they did seemed to resolve the situation. With things looking pretty poor since the emus controlled their fields, all the farmers gathered together to discuss their frustrations and to brainstorm on how to resolve the situation. They decided to ask for the aid of the Australian government, hoping for a solution with those crafty emus.

The Australian government decided to dispatch the military to battle the emus. The battalion was still battle-ready since they had freshly returned from war. The government knew they would resolve the issue swiftly. They were confident in their ability. Each soldier readied their guns, meticulously cleaning and checking each piece before being dispatched to do battle with the emus. Who would win? Surely it would be the soldiers who were trained and more knowledgeable of the plan. This would be a surprise attack. The emus would not know what was happening until it was too late. Many placed their bets on the soldiers.

In the fields, the emus and soldiers battled. But the emus were more evasive (breaking into smaller groups) and more agile than even the most prepared soldiers. They darted into the scrub so that the soldiers could not follow. The soldiers fought for roughly a month, only to kill relatively few emus in sheer numbers. Seeing that the soldiers were incapable of winning, senior military officials had the soldiers return to base. Thus, the emus won, and the farmers had to adapt other means of managing them.

*****The Emu War is factual. Story is my interpretation of the events.