After World War I, the Australian government gave land to many ex-soldiers from Australia and some from Great Britain. The government gave these settlers land to farm in Western Australia. A lot of the land was not very good. When the Great Depression hit Australia in 1929, the government told these farmers to grow more wheat. The government promised to help by giving money to farmers. But the farmers didn't get the money. Wheat was becoming worth less and less money, and by October 1932 there were big problems in Western Australia. The farmers were ready to harvest the season's crop but also threatening to refuse to deliver the wheat.