7 ms·

The Emu War

80 points by areoform 7y ago

happyneal 7y ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXpu6tbFCsI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXpu6tbFCsI
RcouF1uZ4gsC 7y ago
>This time the gunners waited until the birds were in close proximity before opening fire. The gun jammed after only twelve birds were killed and the remainder scattered before any more could be shot Reading this account almost seemed like the real life version of "Star Trek Crew Meets the Road Runner" https://boards.fool.com/star-trek-crew-meets-the-road-runner-18605364.aspx https://boards.fool.com/star-trek-crew-meets-the-road-runner...
- goatinaboat 7y ago
  It is easy to mock the Australian army but when the Commonwealth needed them they answered the call. Same with the Canadians.
  - lostlogin 7y ago
    Exactly, and the Australians and other colonials died gloriously for the empire. What a waste. I’m a sarcastic New Zealander.
    - jimmux 7y ago
      We should have sent the emus.
    - sbmthakur 7y ago
      Did New Zealanders also participate in the Emu war?
  - flukus 7y ago
    So it's more like the Galactic Empire soldiers meeting the road runner?
    - goatinaboat 7y ago
      That’s the strangest analogy I’ve ever heard for WW2!
isbjorn16 7y ago
I legitimately thought this was just an Aussie joke. Huh.
- krapp 7y ago
  Having Australian in-laws has ruined my ability to discern sarcasm.
- chris_wot 7y ago
  Wait till you find out about Drop Bears!
  - yesenadam 7y ago
    Some good info on them here from the Australian Museum. https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/animals/mammals/drop-bear/ https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/animals/mammals/drop-b...
- simonblack 7y ago
  Standard Warning Poster - Widespread in Tourist areas. https://www.thetraveltart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Drop-Bears-Warning.jpg https://www.thetraveltart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Dro...
kazinator 7y ago
> Instead, the bounty system that had been instigated in 1923 was continued, and this proved to be effective: 57,034 bounties were claimed over a six-month period in 1934. Someone probably started raising the birds to cash in on the bounty.
- chris_wot 7y ago
  That’s what happened with feral hogs: https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/gimletmedia.com/amp/shows/reply-all/n8hw3d https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/gimletmedia.com/amp/shows/re...
  - claudiawerner 7y ago
    It's known as the Cobra effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_effect
  - tvanantwerp 7y ago
    The good old cobra effect at work! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_effect
- RcouF1uZ4gsC 7y ago
  Nowadays with cheap gene testing/PCR, you could probably flag people who are turning in too many related animals for bounties.
cptnapalm 7y ago
I miss the "war box" one where it listed the opposing factions leadership and the Great Emu Emperor. Also, in the casualty box, Australia's listed 10,000 rounds of ammunition and their dignity.
- simonsarris 7y ago
  LOL apparently there's a long history of those edits, reverting + protecting the page, un-protecting it, and it happening again. Here's one: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emu_War&oldid=477149005 https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emu_War&oldid=477...
  - NamTaf 7y ago
    We have this weird self-depreciating pride about losing the War, and like to talk it up a bit. It doesn't surprise me that a bunch of larrikans keep trying to put it back on the page. Pushing back against Wiki's uptight rules on seriousness like this is a great example of the subversive Aussie humour. Good on 'em!
    - Larrikin 7y ago
      I've never seen the term for my username in the wild outside of a thesaurus and a band that was popular a long time ago.
  - koolba 7y ago
    That emu face in the primary pic is just perfect.
    - acqq 7y ago
      For some details, just having a citation entry is perfect: "[18] Request to Use Bombs to Kill Emus, The (Adelaide) Mail, (Saturday, 3 July 1943), p.12." ----- (From "Aftermath: Despite the problems encountered with the cull, the farmers of the region once again requested military assistance in 1934, 1943, and 1948, only to be turned down by the government.[2][18]")
chris_wot 7y ago
I have been maintaining a list of interesting facts in Wikipedia. It’s kind of a supplement to their Unusual Articles [1]. My list can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Chris.sherlock https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Chris.sherlock Emu Wars is one of the facts I know of. 1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Unusual_articles https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Unusual_articles
- EdwardDiego 7y ago
  Thanks for the great list, now to disappear down the wikihole :)
ReptileMan 7y ago
TLDR: The Emus won ...
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
bodandly 7y ago
The Dollop podcast did a great episode on this: https://allthingscomedy.com/podcasts/111---the-emu-war-live https://allthingscomedy.com/podcasts/111---the-emu-war-live
taveras 7y ago
For those who like to laugh about this, one of my favorite subreddits is https://www.reddit.com/r/Emuwarflashbacks/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Emuwarflashbacks/
whoopdedo 7y ago
I can't help but notice that the official coat of arms for Australia contains on it an emu.
RufusJacksons 7y ago
I need to hear an episode of the podcast “The Dollop” on this one
sbmthakur 7y ago
> The Emu command had evidently ordered guerrilla tactics, and its unwieldy army soon split up into innumerable small units that made use of the military equipment uneconomic. Would like to know what other tactics were employed by the "Emu command". :)

80 points by areoform 7y ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXpu6tbFCsI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXpu6tbFCsI

>This time the gunners waited until the birds were in close proximity before opening fire. The gun jammed after only twelve birds were killed and the remainder scattered before any more could be shot Reading this account almost seemed like the real life version of "Star Trek Crew Meets the Road Runner" https://boards.fool.com/star-trek-crew-meets-the-road-runner-18605364.aspx https://boards.fool.com/star-trek-crew-meets-the-road-runner...

goatinaboat 7y ago
It is easy to mock the Australian army but when the Commonwealth needed them they answered the call. Same with the Canadians.
- lostlogin 7y ago
  Exactly, and the Australians and other colonials died gloriously for the empire. What a waste. I’m a sarcastic New Zealander.
  - jimmux 7y ago
    We should have sent the emus.
  - sbmthakur 7y ago
    Did New Zealanders also participate in the Emu war?
- flukus 7y ago
  So it's more like the Galactic Empire soldiers meeting the road runner?
  - goatinaboat 7y ago
    That’s the strangest analogy I’ve ever heard for WW2!

isbjorn16 7y ago

I legitimately thought this was just an Aussie joke. Huh.

krapp 7y ago
Having Australian in-laws has ruined my ability to discern sarcasm.
chris_wot 7y ago
Wait till you find out about Drop Bears!
- yesenadam 7y ago
  Some good info on them here from the Australian Museum. https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/animals/mammals/drop-bear/ https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/animals/mammals/drop-b...
simonblack 7y ago
Standard Warning Poster - Widespread in Tourist areas. https://www.thetraveltart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Drop-Bears-Warning.jpg https://www.thetraveltart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Dro...

kazinator 7y ago

> Instead, the bounty system that had been instigated in 1923 was continued, and this proved to be effective: 57,034 bounties were claimed over a six-month period in 1934. Someone probably started raising the birds to cash in on the bounty.

chris_wot 7y ago
That’s what happened with feral hogs: https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/gimletmedia.com/amp/shows/reply-all/n8hw3d https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/gimletmedia.com/amp/shows/re...
- claudiawerner 7y ago
  It's known as the Cobra effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_effect
- tvanantwerp 7y ago
  The good old cobra effect at work! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_effect
RcouF1uZ4gsC 7y ago
Nowadays with cheap gene testing/PCR, you could probably flag people who are turning in too many related animals for bounties.

cptnapalm 7y ago

I miss the "war box" one where it listed the opposing factions leadership and the Great Emu Emperor. Also, in the casualty box, Australia's listed 10,000 rounds of ammunition and their dignity.

simonsarris 7y ago
LOL apparently there's a long history of those edits, reverting + protecting the page, un-protecting it, and it happening again. Here's one: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emu_War&oldid=477149005 https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emu_War&oldid=477...
- NamTaf 7y ago
  We have this weird self-depreciating pride about losing the War, and like to talk it up a bit. It doesn't surprise me that a bunch of larrikans keep trying to put it back on the page. Pushing back against Wiki's uptight rules on seriousness like this is a great example of the subversive Aussie humour. Good on 'em!
  - Larrikin 7y ago
    I've never seen the term for my username in the wild outside of a thesaurus and a band that was popular a long time ago.
- koolba 7y ago
  That emu face in the primary pic is just perfect.
  - acqq 7y ago
    For some details, just having a citation entry is perfect: "[18] Request to Use Bombs to Kill Emus, The (Adelaide) Mail, (Saturday, 3 July 1943), p.12." ----- (From "Aftermath: Despite the problems encountered with the cull, the farmers of the region once again requested military assistance in 1934, 1943, and 1948, only to be turned down by the government.[2][18]")

chris_wot 7y ago

I have been maintaining a list of interesting facts in Wikipedia. It’s kind of a supplement to their Unusual Articles [1]. My list can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Chris.sherlock https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Chris.sherlock Emu Wars is one of the facts I know of. 1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Unusual_articles https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Unusual_articles

EdwardDiego 7y ago
Thanks for the great list, now to disappear down the wikihole :)

ReptileMan 7y ago

TLDR: The Emus won ...

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

bodandly 7y ago

The Dollop podcast did a great episode on this: https://allthingscomedy.com/podcasts/111---the-emu-war-live https://allthingscomedy.com/podcasts/111---the-emu-war-live

taveras 7y ago

For those who like to laugh about this, one of my favorite subreddits is https://www.reddit.com/r/Emuwarflashbacks/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Emuwarflashbacks/

whoopdedo 7y ago

I can't help but notice that the official coat of arms for Australia contains on it an emu.

RufusJacksons 7y ago

I need to hear an episode of the podcast “The Dollop” on this one

sbmthakur 7y ago

> The Emu command had evidently ordered guerrilla tactics, and its unwieldy army soon split up into innumerable small units that made use of the military equipment uneconomic. Would like to know what other tactics were employed by the "Emu command". :)