The dwarf emu of Kangaroo Island was recorded by the artist Charles-Alexandre LeSueur of the Baudin expedition in 1802. The expedition had been sent out by the French government to explore the unknown section of the Australian coast in 1800. The expedition took several live specimens of the bird, as well as other animals, back to France with them, where they lived in the grounds of the palace of Malmaison. The birds can also be seen in the title page vignette of the expedition account and on the map of Terre Napoleon. The bird was extinct by the time of official white settlement in 1836.

Peron, Francois, 1775-1810

Baudin, Nicolas, 1754-1803

Petit, Nicolas-Martin, 1777-1804

Lesueur, Charles Alexandre, 1778-1846

Morgan, Alexander Matheson. Critical description of some recently discovered bones of the extinct Kangaroo Island emu, Melbourne, 1928

Howchin, Walter. Some references to the literature concerning the extinct emus of Kangaroo Island and elsewhere, Adelaide, 1926

Baudin in Australian waters: the artwork of the French voyage of discovery to the southern lands 1800-1804 edited by Jacqueline Bonnemains, Elliott Forsyth and Bernard Smith Melbourne Oxford University Press in association with the Australian Academy of the Humanities, 1988

Hunt, Susan. Terre Napoleon: Australia through French eyes, 1800-1804 Sydney: Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales in association with Hordern House, 1999

Wallace, Colin. The lost Australia of Francois Peron London: Nottingham Court Press, 1984

The Encounter, 1802: art of the Flinders and Baudin voyages [compiled by] Sarah Thomas Adelaide: Art Gallery of South Australia, 2002

State Library of South Australia: Mortlock Wing. Taking it to the edge August 2004-