The First Great Emu War of 1932

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TAGLINE In the feathers of fury, Australia's forgotten war takes flight. LOGLINE In 1932 Western Australia, battle-hardened WWI veterans turned farmers face ruin as migrating emus devastate their drought-stricken crops, forcing a reluctant government to deploy soldiers and machine guns in a chaotic, humiliating military campaign against an enemy that refuses to be defeated — turning a desperate culling operation into one of history's most absurd and tragic "wars." THE OPENING >> Start reading the book now BUY >> See Original Edition on Amazon See Spellbound Edition on Amazon See Workbench Edition on Amazon GENRE Primary: Historical fiction Secondary: Military/war drama, political fiction It dramatises the real 1932 Great Emu War in Western Australia — where soldiers were deployed with machine guns to cull crop-destroying emus after WWI soldier-settlers faced ruin — while weaving in deep emotional character arcs, family tragedy, post-war trauma, bureaucratic absurdity, and moments of dark humour and heartbreak. SETTING The book is set in rural Western Australia between September and November 1932, primarily around the wheat-farming districts near Campion during the historic Great Emu War, with flashbacks to earlier events in South Australia from the late 19th century. BLURB A BATTLE BETWEEN VERMIN AND VETERANS. When the Great War ended, Australia provided its returned soldiers with new farmland to call their own. Discovering they had grown wheat fields in the path of a flightless migratory bird, farmers open fire, but the native emus prove indestructible. Meanwhile, political unrest mounts in Western Australia. The State intends to secede to its own country and is eager to lay blame on the Federation. The Australian Government sends three soldiers to cull the birds but, proving harder to kill than any enemy they've ever faced, it won't only be the farmers who lose everything. Time is ticking... D. M. WRIGHT DELIVERS A POWERFUL DRAMA ABOUT THE BIRDS WHO PLAGUED A DIVIDING NATION AND THE MEN BEHIND THE BATTLE WHO REFUSED TO SURRENDER. REVIEWS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This story is based on a true event in history. The banter of the men charged with culling the emus, the journalists covering the event and the locals cheering them on is true blue Aussie. The way the emus and army men adapt to each other's tactics is entertaining and lively. A true tug of war between man and beast, or should I say, bird. Both funny and gritty in the telling. The final battle in this book was a rollercoaster of emotions. CONTENT WARNING This book is Not Recommended for readers under the age of 15. It contains: Violence Strong language CHAPTERS At all times and everywhere Hungarian Dance No.5 1. One became six 2. Dromaius novaehollandiae 3. Long-range shooting 4. The O.C. 5. Nevil Maskelyne 6. Job and duty 7. J, A, C, K. 8. Shepherd’s delight 9. Eight down 10. Governments 11. Saddle up 12. Battleplan: Alpha 13. Is that it? 14. The Great Emu 15. Puss Moth 16. Monsters 17. Where are we going? 18. Convergence 19. Indestructible 20. Born to be wild 21. Elusive emus 22. We’ll have a war! 23. I couldn’t stop him! 24. That’s the spirit! 25. An orchestra of taiko drums 26. Cliff! 27. Take your finger off the trigger 28. Serg!? 29. Promised massacre, we oversaw AUTHOR'S NOTE When I first stumbled across the story of the 1932 Great Emu War, I couldn't believe it was real. Australia — my Australia — had sent soldiers with Lewis machine guns to cull a flock of large, flightless birds that were ruining wheat crops in the drought-stricken wheat belt of Western Australia. The birds outran bullets, scattered like smoke, and left the troops humiliated. It sounded like the setup for the ultimate tall tale, the kind of absurd yarn we'd spin around a barbie to make mates laugh until their sides hurt. But the more I dug, the less funny it became. These weren't just any farmers — they were returned soldiers from the Great War, men who'd survived Gallipoli, the Somme, and the mud of Flanders, promised land as a reward for their service. Instead, they got drought, debt, and now an invasion of emus that mocked every hard-won victory they'd claimed overseas. The "war" wasn't a punchline; it was a symptom of deeper wounds: broken promises from a government that had already asked too much, political fractures threatening to split the nation (Western Australia was inches from secession), and the quiet, grinding despair of men trying to rebuild lives on soil which refused to yield. I wrote this book because I wanted to honour those men — not with mockery, but with the weight their stories deserve. The emu campaign was ridiculous on the surface, yes, but beneath it lay real human cost: families on the brink, veterans carrying invisible scars from one war into another they couldn't win, fathers desperate to protect what little they'd built for their children. Reducing it to pure comedy would have erased that pain, turned tragedy into a cheap gag. I couldn't do that. These were people — real people, or at least echoes of them — who deserved dignity even in defeat. That's why the humour isn't sprayed across the chases and battles like buckshot. The pursuits themselves are frantic, gritty, almost cinematic in their futility — fast horses, dust clouds, birds who refuse to die. The chuckles come in the quieter moments between: the dark banter among soldiers who've seen worse than feathers, the gallows wit of men staring down yet another impossible enemy, the sharp, unexpected quips in someone's final moments which cut through grief like a knife. Those are the places where Australian resilience shines — where we laugh so we don't break. Placing the humour there felt honest; it mirrors how we cope, how we find light in the cracks without pretending the darkness isn't there. This is a drama first, with absurdity as its sharpest edge. The emus may have "won" the First War, but the real story is about the men and women who kept going onto the Second — scarred, stubborn and still standing. If I've captured even a fraction of that spirit, then I've done what I set out to do. THEMES 'The First Great Emu War of 1932' explores several interconnected themes through its dramatisation of the historical event, blending personal tragedy with broader societal and existential conflicts. The futility and absurdity of war Especially when waged against nature, highlighting how human hubris, military might and bureaucracy fail spectacularly against resilient, "indestructible" emus, turning a practical culling into a humiliating, chaotic farce echoing the pointless losses of WWI. Post-war trauma and resilience Veterans and soldier-settlers carry the scars of Gallipoli and the trenches into civilian life, facing new battles for survival on the land promised as reward, only to confront grief, guilt, exhaustion and moral erosion in a seemingly unwinnable fight. Family, legacy and generational promises Deep explorations of father-child bonds, inherited duty, and the drive to provide/protect, seen in heartbreaking losses and lifelong commitments forged in tragedy. Good dads The portrayal of devoted, flawed fathers who sacrifice everything for their children — whether through promises made on deathbeds, desperate protection in crisis, or quiet endurance amid ruin — celebrating steadfast love, guidance and emotional vulnerability as heroic in the face of overwhelming odds. Political division and bureaucratic failure The tension between federal authority and regional unrest, where politicians like Sir George Pearce grapple with blame, expediency and national unity, showing how wars are fought as much in parliament as on the "battlefield". Human vs. nature / Hubris vs. the environment Emus as an unstoppable, almost mythical force symbolising Australia's harsh landscape and indigenous wildlife resisting colonial imposition, underscoring themes of adaptation, defeat, and the limits of human control. Grief, loss and dark humour Raw emotional weight from personal tragedies interwoven with gallows wit, ironic poetry and absurd mishaps, creating a poignant contrast between heartbreak and levity in the face of inevitable failure. TONE & VIBE 'The First Great Emu War of 1932' is a powerful, emotionally raw drama laced with dark humour, post-war trauma and Australian gallows wit, blending intense military realism, family heartbreak, bureaucratic absurdity and tragic futility into a gritty yet poignant narrative where levity shadows inevitable loss and human resilience shines against an indestructible, almost farcical foe. POV Third-person limited Past tense 'The First Great Emu War of 1932' is written in third-person limited point of view (close third-person), shifting between multiple characters — such as George Pearce, minister's aides like Clifford, soldiers including the major and sergeant, hunters like Julius and Marie, reporters, politicians, and others — to provide intimate access to individual thoughts, emotions and experiences while maintaining an omniscient-like breadth across the ensemble cast and historical events. This multi-POV approach allows deep dives into personal trauma, family dynamics and the absurdity of the conflict from various angles, enhancing the dramatic, character-driven storytelling without a single protagonist dominating the narrative. MAIN CHARACTER SNAPSHOTS George Pearce (young George in flashbacks; later Sir George Pearce) A stoic, duty-bound man haunted by childhood guilt over his mother's death from contaminated water he fetched. Shaped by family tragedy and promises of helpfulness, he evolves into a high-ranking politician who grapples with the political fallout of the emu campaign, ultimately deciding whether to end it in a moment of national division and personal resolve. Clifford Bevan A battle-scarred WWI veteran and minister's aide, limping from old wounds and fuelled by righteous fury. He represents the exhausted, principled everyman — pushing back against military incompetence, bureaucratic failure and needless risk — culminating in a defiant standoff to halt the operation and protect lives, embodying post-war resilience turned to moral rebellion. Major Meredith The commanding officer of the military detachment, a proud, volatile leader driven by personal stakes (including concern for his own child) and a refusal to admit defeat. His aggressive orders lead to chaos — crashes, civilian endangerment and escalation — highlighting the hubris and desperation of authority in the face of an unbeatable, feathered enemy. Sergeant McMurray A pragmatic, gun-toting enforcer torn between duty and doubt. He wavers during the climactic confrontation, pistol in hand, caught in the chain-of-command pressure while facing Clifford's unyielding stand — symbolising the ordinary soldier's quiet erosion under absurd, futile orders. Julius A rugged, skilled hunter and grieving father who rides into battle on horseback with his daughter Marie. Desperate to protect his land and family legacy, he pursues the emus relentlessly, only to suffer devastating personal loss in a tragic accident — his vulnerability and raw grief underscoring the human cost behind the "war." Wayne Austin The young, conflicted ornithologist/bird expert attached to the military unit. Initially idealistic about the cull, he witnesses the violence and spirals into shock and disillusionment, representing scientific detachment shattered by moral horror. The reporters (Bert, Ray, Bob) A fractious trio of journalists embedded with the troops — Bert the principled leader, Ray the opportunistic photographer, Bob the anxious observer. Their betrayals, fistfights and shift from observers to participants expose how media sensationalism undermines an already fragile campaign. Hally The young gunner/poet, carrying a notebook of ANZAC verses and reciting poignant war poetry amid the failure. He provides moments of reflective melancholy, reminding everyone of deeper sacrifices and the ironic echo between Gallipoli heroism and this farcical "war" against birds. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Historical Accuracy and Context The novel draws from the real 1932 Emu War, incorporating elements like soldier-settler schemes, machine-gun deployments and Western Australia's secession movement. How does Wright fictionalise these events to heighten drama, and what does this reveal about the challenges faced by WWI veterans in post-war Australia? References to actual sources (e.g. Hansard debates, newspapers like The Argus and ANZAC poetry) anchor the story. Discuss how these enhance authenticity — do they make the absurdity of the "war" more impactful, or do they highlight government failures during the Great Depression? The book explores Western Australia's push for independence amid economic hardship. How does this political backdrop mirror or exaggerate real tensions between states and the federal government? Research one referenced newspaper article from 1932 — how does it align with the novel's portrayal? Character Development and Motivations George Pearce's journey from a guilt-ridden child (witnessing his mother's death) to a conflicted politician embodies duty and regret. How does his backstory influence his decisions during the emu crisis, and what does it say about leadership under pressure? Farmers and hunters like Julius and Marie represent the human cost of the conflict, with their bond ending in tragedy. How does their story illustrate themes of family legacy and sacrifice? Did Marie's final scene change your view of resilience in the face of loss? Major Meredith and Sergeant McMurray grapple with military hierarchy amid failure. Compare their responses to orders — does Meredith's hubris or McMurray's doubt better capture the novel's critique of authority? Is Clifford Bevan's standoff a symbol of moral rebellion or something else? Supporting figures like the ornithologist Wayne and poet-gunman Hally provide outsider perspectives. How do their evolutions (from detachment to horror, or reflection via poetry) add depth to the ensemble cast? Themes and Symbolism The emus are portrayed as "indestructible" adversaries, symbolising nature's defiance against human control. Discuss how this theme ties into broader ideas of futility in war, echoing WWI echoes like Gallipoli. "Good dads" emerge from the entire ensemble cast. What defines "good" fatherhood in the novel, what can you learn from (or learn not to do from) the mix of dads in the book, and how do they offer hope to their children against overwhelming odds? Post-war trauma haunts the veterans, blending with bureaucratic absurdity and dark humour. How does the tone shift between heartbreaking loss and ironic failures? Identify examples and motifs throughout the book — how do they reinforce resilience? Political division and blame-shifting drive the plot, with secession threats amplifying the stakes. What commentary does the book make on how governments handle crises, and are there parallels to contemporary politics? Narrative Style and Structure The third-person limited POV shifts among characters, creating a mosaic of experiences. How does this technique build suspense and empathy, especially in action sequences like chases or confrontations? Examine a chapter transition (e.g., from politics to battlefield) — does it mirror the chaos of the "war"? Intertextual elements, such as music ("Born to Be Wild"), films (Jurassic Park nods) and poetry, add a cinematic layer. Discuss how these enrich the storytelling — do they make the historical fiction feel more modern or immersive? The ending's "To be continued..." sets up the sequel while leaving themes of defeat unresolved. Did this cliffhanger feel earned, or did it frustrate you? Speculate on potential arcs in 'The Second Great Emu War of 1932' based on lingering conflicts. Content warnings for violence and strong language underscore the gritty realism. How do these elements serve the emotional rawness, and would the novel's impact diminish without them? ISBN 9798871191767 RELEASE YEAR 2024 SERIES INFO WAR Book 1 WORD COUNT 85,000 AVAILABLE FORMATS Original edition: Paperback, Kindle Spellbound edition: Kindle Workbench edition: Kindle THE OPENING >> Start reading the book now BUY >> See Original Edition on Amazon See Spellbound Edition on Amazon See Workbench Edition on Amazon