Emu War
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The Emu War was a nuisance wildlife management operation undertaken by the Australian Army in late 1932.
A man holding an emu killed by Australian soldiers
Fallow caused by emus
Defence minister Sir George Pearce ordered the army to cull the emu population. He was later called the "Minister of the Emu War" in parliament by Senator James Dunn.
In November 1932, during parliamentary question time, Prime Minister Joseph Lyons (pictured) was mockingly asked by Lang Labor MP Rowley James whether a medal would be struck for the soldiers.
Lewis gun
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The Lewis gun is a First World War–era light machine gun. Designed privately in the United States though not adopted there, the design was finalised and mass-produced in the United Kingdom, and widely
Emu War
…A deputation of ex-soldiers requested the deployment of machine-guns to cull the emus, leading to Royal Australian Artillery soldiers armed with Lewis guns attempting to reduce emu numbers. The deployment of soldiers using machine-guns led the media to adopt the name "Emu War" when referring to the action…
Lewis Gun
A Lewis gun at the Elgin Military Museum Canada. The rear end of its light-gray finned aluminium heat sink, which fits within the gun's brass-coloured cylindrical cooling shroud, can be seen.
A 1917 recruiting poster for the United States Marines featuring a Lewis gun
Men of the 28th Battalion of the 2nd Australian Division practising Lewis gun drill at Renescure