1 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: Hey, and welcome to the short stuff. I'm Josh, and 2 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: there's Chuck and there's Jerry. Let's go. So do you 3 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 1: remember when we went to Australia on tour? Yes, I 4 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: do remember how fun that was. It was fun. It's 5 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: like it was just a dream. It was like a dream, 6 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:25,119 Speaker 1: a good, good dream. Uh. When we were there, like 7 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: we do it um all of our live shows, we 8 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: do some Q and at the end and take questions. 9 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: And on more than one occasion and more than one city, 10 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 1: we had someone stand up and said, uh, something along 11 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: the lines of you should cover the emy wall, mate, 12 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,879 Speaker 1: and we're like, we thought EMUs were birds, and they went, 13 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: just look it up right, So we did that and 14 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:52,560 Speaker 1: here it is. Go okay, all right, let's go. So 15 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: to go, Chuck, we have to go back to the 16 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: end of World War One and a lot of Australian 17 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: veterans were returning from the war and the government said, 18 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: you know what, we want to show you guys how 19 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,040 Speaker 1: happy we are with you, and just to say thanks, 20 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: We're gonna set you up with a bunch of acres 21 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: of farmland and you can start farming. And not only 22 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 1: can you start farming, if you grow wheat, we'll buy 23 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: it from you at ridiculous prices. So basically, we're setting 24 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: you up to go set up a life for yourself 25 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: as farmers here in Australia. And it sounded pretty great, right, 26 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 1: Like all the veterans were like, yeah, let's let's do that. 27 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: Give us some land. And that's where the first problem 28 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: comes in. Yeah, because they didn't have enough land. They 29 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: didn't know. I don't know if they didn't think they 30 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 1: would as many would take them up on it, or 31 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:41,199 Speaker 1: if they didn't count right, but they had about uh 32 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: two hundred close to two acres of land to split 33 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 1: between five thousand soldiers. Um. It was doled out in order. Um. 34 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: Obviously the best stuff went away first and then uh, 35 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: if you're at the end of the line, you got 36 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: your land in Perth, which sound like a dig I 37 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: love Perth. I thought it was great. It was much 38 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: different than I thought. It was pretty amazing. But it's 39 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: apparently not great for farming, right, it's not great for farming. 40 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: They're also rabbit infestations. UM. I believe there's also a 41 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: drought in Western Australia, which is where Perth is. Um. 42 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: So all of this happens right after um, the government 43 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: agrees like to set all of their veterans up like this, 44 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: So it looks really bad that immediately there's hardships associated 45 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: with this kind of government doll dole plant right. Um. 46 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: Then the Great Depression ends up hitting. But as it's hitting, 47 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: there debating exactly how much they're gonna pay for this 48 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:44,799 Speaker 1: wheat that their veterans are going to grow for them, 49 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: and it starts out really really generous. They say like 50 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: four shillings, which is right per bushel. I'm sorry, no 51 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: per piece of wheat um, which is at the time 52 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:57,639 Speaker 1: that was pretty good price for a bushel of wheat, 53 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 1: and it was like government subsidized wheat. And then the 54 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: government said, yeah, we're not going to do that. Let's 55 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: try again, and they came up with another bill and 56 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: they said three shillings. He said, okay, that's still pretty good, 57 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 1: and they finally settled and in nine at four and 58 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: a half pence, And there's not many pence and a shilling, 59 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 1: so that was a pretty steep reduction between four shillings 60 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: down to four and a halfpence per per bushel. So 61 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: that's kind of like they're starting to add insult on 62 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: to injury. Now, all right, so park that to the 63 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 1: side and we'll tell you a little bit about the 64 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: Australian emu, which um I saw on a couple of 65 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 1: my little uh adventure trips. I'm sure you did as well. 66 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: They are um. I mean a dumb American might say 67 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: it looks like an Ostrich. That was about to say 68 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: it looks like an Ostrich. Yeah, we're dumb Americans. Let's 69 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 1: say this. It looks more like an Ostrich than it 70 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: looks like a cardinal. Right, way to save us, chuck. Uh. 71 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: They're you know, they're tall. They're about six six and 72 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: a half feet tall, depending they can weigh up to 73 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: a hundred pounds or more. They kind of do their 74 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: own thing for the most part. Uh. They get together 75 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:08,840 Speaker 1: to breed, but they really don't like to be around 76 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: other EMUs usually except when they go off and get food. 77 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: They're they're grazers and they will graze together, but they're 78 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 1: all like, they're all just sort of in the same 79 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 1: area grazing. They're not like forming a pack or forming 80 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 1: a bond or anything like. Uh. They're just hungry and 81 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 1: they're big, and they like to hang out generally by 82 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 1: themselves unless you've got tons and tons of new wheat 83 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: fields in Western Australia. Yeah, they'll they'll eat just about anything, 84 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: but that. You know, if they have a plentiful supply 85 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 1: of wheat, you can attract a lot of emuse with 86 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:46,039 Speaker 1: a lot of wheat. And so all of a sudden 87 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: there's a big old supply of wheat in Western Australia 88 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:51,840 Speaker 1: because all these veterans showed up and started growing it there. 89 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: And so the emu started to come and they started 90 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: to eat this wheat. And the veterans said, whoa, whoa, whoa, emuse, 91 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: this is my wheat. I'm growing this because the government 92 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: is going to pay me for it, um and you said, 93 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 1: we don't care. We're gonna eat your eat anyway. And 94 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, the first shot in what would 95 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:14,839 Speaker 1: become the Emu War was fired by the EMUs. And 96 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: we'll come back right after this to finish this ridiculous story. 97 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: If you want to know then you're in luck. Just 98 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:45,280 Speaker 1: listen to don't chuck self shore. All right. So it's 99 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,679 Speaker 1: these veterans are growing wheat in Western Australia and twenty 100 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: tho EMUs seen nothing basically but a big wheat buffet 101 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: in front of their faces, and so they descend upon 102 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: Western Australia. The veterans are like, um, it's out of control. 103 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,479 Speaker 1: I don't know if anyone's noticed, but we actually need 104 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: help government. You gave us this land, you're not paying 105 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: us well for it, and now these EMUs are eating 106 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: at all and that this is gonna be a big 107 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: problem for the country if Western Australia is tanked all 108 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 1: of a sudden economically because of these EMUs. And so 109 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: the army, under the direction of Major General P. W. Meredith, 110 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 1: said let's go kill a bunch of EMUs, right right, 111 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 1: because so like this is this is a problem that 112 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:37,280 Speaker 1: has kind of saddled um the Western Australia veterans who 113 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:40,920 Speaker 1: are growing weed out there. But it's also a really 114 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: big opportunity for the government to show just how much 115 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 1: they care about their veterans. They're gonna send the army 116 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: out to take care of this emu problem. And so 117 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: the government saw it is enough of a propaganda move 118 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: that they actually sent out at Fox movietone news cameraman 119 00:06:56,520 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 1: to film this whole thing to be used as propaganda 120 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: to show what the government's doing and I guess because 121 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: they assumed that most Australians would want to see twenty 122 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,720 Speaker 1: thousand EMU slaughtered by machine guns. They would, so they 123 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 1: sent somebody to go film this, this massacre. Yeah, but 124 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 1: this was all under There was a deal to be 125 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: made and they said, all right, we'll do this. We'll 126 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 1: help you out, but you gotta pay for the ammunition veterans, 127 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 1: and you got to provide food and lodging for these soldiers. 128 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 1: And the veterans said what the veterans said, all right, 129 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 1: I guess we have no choice, so sure we'll do that. Um. 130 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: Here's the other thing about the EMU. If you get 131 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,680 Speaker 1: a gun out and you start shooting at them, they're 132 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 1: gonna stop grazing and they are going to go berserk 133 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: right right, because remember they don't actually have much of 134 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: like a society or a pack or anything like that, 135 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: so they're not coordinating. It's just every EMU for itself 136 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:51,880 Speaker 1: all of a sudden. And if you have twenty thousand 137 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 1: of them doing every EMU for themselves, yes, it's like 138 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: what you said, it's they go berserk. Yeah. So there, Um, 139 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: it's a big problem. You've got machine guns. These emu's 140 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: twenty thousand of them are are It's not like they're 141 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 1: all packed in a couple of wheat fields. They're spread 142 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 1: all over Western Australia. They're all over the place. They're running. Uh. 143 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: It's crazy town that these EMUs are running everywhere like uh, 144 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: crazy birds with their gangly legs and there. I mean, 145 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,239 Speaker 1: have you ever seen an EMI run. It's pretty funny looking. 146 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 1: I've seen an Ostrich run. It's probably close, you know, 147 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 1: more like more the same than a Carlinal cardinal running. Uh. 148 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: And if you've got a machine gun, you're just spraying 149 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:38,680 Speaker 1: bullets basically hoping that you're gonna hit an EMU. There's 150 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: no like take aim and fire. They're just like shooting 151 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:46,680 Speaker 1: that direction. And the result is they're not killing many 152 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 1: of these things at all. No. No, I mean they 153 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 1: were surprised to find that they might as well have 154 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: been deployed to go shoot at a b problem with 155 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: machine guns for the effect it was having on the EMUs. 156 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: They were just the emails were basically indestructible, it turned out, 157 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 1: not because they could withstand a bullet, but because they 158 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 1: were just they were moving too quick and too bersik 159 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:12,680 Speaker 1: to get hit by a bull bullet. You know, they're like, 160 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:14,440 Speaker 1: I put three bullets into this thing, but it just 161 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:18,080 Speaker 1: made them angry. It didn't even break eye contact. So 162 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 1: they had these machine guns are jamming. They didn't have 163 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 1: a lot of guns. Uh. You know, it's a problem 164 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:28,079 Speaker 1: if they're worried about the cost of ammunition to begin with. Uh. 165 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,680 Speaker 1: They stage multiple offenses over the course of about six days, 166 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 1: none of which were very effective, and media coverage starts 167 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,679 Speaker 1: pouring in. It's not a very good look. Uh So 168 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 1: six days later they kind of bail on that stage 169 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:45,800 Speaker 1: another attempt a few weeks later that was not much 170 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: more successful. I mean, we're talking about killing a few 171 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:53,080 Speaker 1: hundred birds out of right, and they were apportioned ten 172 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:57,840 Speaker 1: thousand rounds of ammunition. They used hundred rounds just to 173 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: kill two hundred was in EMUs. So they were pretty 174 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 1: surprised that that. Like, when those numbers started coming in 175 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:07,520 Speaker 1: and the rest of Australia heard about this, it did 176 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: not look very good for the military. No, it did 177 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:12,679 Speaker 1: not look look good. And even at the at the time, 178 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,840 Speaker 1: and even in Australia at the time, it wasn't a 179 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: good look for the army to be slaughtering birds. Sure, 180 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: even though they had been classified as vermin at the time, 181 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:24,839 Speaker 1: I think most people were like, what are you guys doing. 182 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,559 Speaker 1: I'm glad the EMUs are winning. So people started rooting 183 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 1: for the EMUs. Yeah, so there's uh, it's it's pretty 184 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 1: much a big disaster. Um. Like I said, they had 185 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 1: a couple of offenses they mounted. None of them were 186 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: super successful. Uh, they eventually just stopped. Basically, the EMUs 187 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 1: won the War of the EMUs right for the for 188 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: then for for the time being, at least with the military. 189 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 1: After that, the farmers in Western Australia said, um, we'll 190 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:55,439 Speaker 1: just take care of this ourselves, and so they found 191 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 1: that just using a UM single shot rifle was much 192 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 1: more effect active, so much so that within a few months, 193 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 1: something like fifty thousand EMUs had been killed in Western 194 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: Australia by gun, just not machine gun. Yeah. And you 195 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: know what really helped was in when they started to 196 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: build fences around these farms. Helped a lot. Um that. 197 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 1: It didn't help though, that the army had actually broken 198 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 1: one of the fences they while they were still shooting 199 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 1: at the EMUs. They had mounted a machine gun onto 200 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:31,559 Speaker 1: the back of a car. Yes, and we're riding along 201 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:34,560 Speaker 1: and I guess they ran over an EMU and it 202 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: got caught up in one of the axles so that 203 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:40,439 Speaker 1: they couldn't steer, and they drove through somebody's fence, which 204 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: made all the papers as well, because that was a 205 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 1: big part of the EMU wars too que yakety sax exactly. Apparently, 206 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: the people in Western Australia asked for assistance from the 207 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 1: government again for EMUs in thirty four, forty three, and 208 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:58,040 Speaker 1: forty eight, and each time the government and army said no, no, no, 209 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 1: we're not going down that road again. But the and 210 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,080 Speaker 1: the email said can you guys just please leave us alone? 211 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 1: And the government finally said yes and protected them once more. 212 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:10,960 Speaker 1: They were no longer vermin. So we'll say this is 213 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 1: a happy ending. I guess not if you're an email, 214 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 1: but sure, I got nothing else, all right. That's it. 215 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: Short stuff. Stuff you should Know is a production of 216 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 1: iHeart Radios How Stuff Works. For more podcasts for my 217 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 218 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:31,840 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.