Emily the Emu and her great adventures take Adelaide’s south by storm

When images of the popular Adelaide ‘local’ and the police popped up on social media, neighbours wasted no time letting them know who they were messing with.

She’s the celebrity emu who is known for stopping traffic in her neighbourhood.

Emily the Emu had been a resident of The Stables Christian Centre for 25 years after being relocated from the Lakeside Leisure Park when she was only knee height.

The cheeky emu, who is kept as a pet, has become quite the escape artist and has perfected the art of jumping her paddock fence.

“I’ve seen her jump five foot,” Arron Latham said.

“Straight out of a trailer.”

Arron Latham with Emily the Emu, who usually resides at The Stables Christian Centre. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Mr Latham and his 11-year-old daughter have worked and lived on the farm located on the property for eight years and are all too familiar with Emily’s antics.

A mechanic by trade, Mr Latham helps take care of the land and runs workshops for disabled individuals.

The facility also creates food hampers, runs an op-shop and provides financial counselling for disadvantaged locals.

“I once found her near Huntfield Heights … it was raining and I had to walk her all the way home,” Mr Latham said.

“Another time it was a 40 degree day and I walked her all the way home and then she pulled a backwards kick on me at the gate.

“She’s got a real personality.”

Emily has become well-known within her community particularly for her wandering ways and is even rumoured to have previously walked all the way to Colannades shopping centre.

Her most recent escapade earlier this week saw her roaming the streets of Huntfield Heights, prompting the police to be called.

Emily the Emu wandering on Brodie road, Huntfield Heights yesterday. Picture: Tanya Lewis

Emily the Emu from The Stables Christian centre is regularly roaming the streets of Huntfield Heights. Picture: Facebook

When she made news headlines on Tuesday, Facebook commenters were quick to jump to the big bird’s defence.

“She’s a local,” one commenter wrote.

“Makes our area interesting.”

Another user said she was a “model resident most of the time” who just needed to “find her way back home again.”

“That’s emusing,” a quick-witted commenter added.

Mr Latham agreed that Emily was much-loved by her neighbours with anyone able to visit her during the day to feed her some bread and berries in the spirit of “fellowship”.

“She’s really well known in the area,” Mr Latham said.

“She’s not fenced in here so she chooses to stay here by choice.”

Alexis Latham, 11, with Emily the Emu, who usually resides at The Stables Christian Centre has been going on little adventures in the neighbourhood. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Mr Latham’s daughter, Alexis said her friends often “don’t believe her” when she tells them she has a pet emu.

“She gets along with my pony really well,” Alexis said.

“And she used to play chasey with our dog, Miley.”

“One of my fondest memories is when we had a pool and she would play peek-a-boo with the kids over the fence,” Mr Latham added.

Emily is among a menagerie of animals on The Stables Christian Centre property along with twenty sheep, chickens, an alpaca and a group of peacocks who have been known to join her on her adventures.

“She loves to chase cars and help round up the sheep,” Mr Latham said.

“She gets a bit crazy.”

Originally published as Emily the Emu and her great adventures take Adelaide’s south by storm