Maybe you've heard of the Great Emu War, popularly known as that time Australia declared war on a bird, and lost. But what is the real story? Was in a war, or was it a tokenistic pest control operation ... with machine guns? This week we dive into the misguided story. We learn some fun facts about Emus and meet the mysterious Major G. P. W. Meredith, the officer placed in command of the operation.

*Correction, I say the men were armed with Maxim Machine guns, they were actually Lewis Machine guns, please pardon my slip. 

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Notes

• The Emu: https://ebird.org/species/emu1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Flightless Birds episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/11317493-flightless-birds
• Australian Coat of Arms: https://www.pmc.gov.au/government/commonwealth-coat-arms
• Emus can walk backwards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65-XthWr9kY&ab_channel=CheepChickenpeep
• Tinamous: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinamou#Egg-laying
• Sir George Pearce: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Pearce
• Gwynydd Purves Wynne-Aubrey Meredith: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/i-was-only-doing-my-job-by-ros-3994702/episodes/the-great-emu-war-hbrig-gen-gw-126143343
• John Cleese Emu War movie: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/john-cleese-jim-jefferies-great-emu-war-2021-afm-1235037607/