Hutt River Province

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Booyakasha!! - Can I get a reeeeeeewind???? I'm back on these pages after an absence of a month or so, so how the hell are we?

Anyway, enough about you, let's talk about us for a while.

Sooooooooo, where are we? Well today(ish, actually last week) we're in this bizarre place called Hutt River Province.

Hutt River Province is an independent soverign state in the middle of Western Ausralia, "what" I hear you say, "just like Monaco?" Yes, just like Monaco and Hong Kong come to mention it.

Let me take you back to where it all began, are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin.

In 1969, a farmer from Western Australia, Sir Leonard Georges Casley opposed himself for the first time to his administration of custody. Owner of an important farm, Sir Leonard Casley was dictated absurd quotas of wheat production, which could only lead him to ruin, he, his company and all his staff.

Having tried, in vain, to convince the administration to go back on its decision, he proposed the dispute to be settled by an arbitrage, and then that the estimated losses would make the object of a financial or a land compensation. None of these proposals obtained satisfactory answer. The Australian administration even threatened the refractory farmer to seize a part of his lands.

On April 21, 1970, when all possible means were exhausted and the two protagonists pushed in the most profound impasse, Sir Leonard Casley sends to Sir David Brand Prime Minister of Western Australia, the announcement of an act of secession based on a document called "Fait Accompli ".

The Government of Western Australia was only authorized legally to dispute the Act of secession; it should have charged Sir Leonard CASLEY for infringement on the integrity of the territory in application of the capacities of the Section 39 of the Penal code of the State. Now, by choosing not to react, the Government of Western Australia lost all possibility of further intervention.

Indeed, the Section 39 of the Penal code mentions a maximum term of two years, as from the date to which the incriminated act is presumed to have been committed for notifying. So, since April 21, 1972, no jurisdiction had sufficient competence to oppose Sir Leonard Casley in his decision of secession and creation of "The Hutt River Province ".
Two official couriers emanating from the Federal Government came to consolidate Sir Leonard Casley'a legal position.

On May 7, 1970, the office of the Prime Minister to Canberra acknowledges receipt of the Act of Secession by mentioning that the affair was falling under the only competence of The State of Western Australia and on May 18, 1970, the Governor of Australia indicates to Sir Leonard Casley that, as far as the Act of Secession concerns exclusively the Constitution of The State of Western Australia, he adopted the required procedure by writing to his Excellence the Governor of Western Australia.

It did not seem any more possible for the Governor General to interfere in an affair relieving from the constitution of Western Australia.

Given the nature of the couriers sent to him, one could deduct that from this moment, Sir Leonard Casley should be considered as the entitled Administrator of "The Hutt River Province ".

So the country within the country was formed and just for good measure on December 2, 1977, the Principality declared war to the powerful Australia. The Australian Authorities ignored what they took for a bragging.

Some days later, Prince Leonard notified the Governor General of Australia on the cessation of "hostilities".
The Principality overcame the conflict with Australia, what was quite interesting on the legal point of view.

International law stipulates that sovereignty is automatically acquired for a country which gets out of a conflict unhurt.
Proof was given that by behaving as a separate state, the Principality of Hutt River Province asserted its capacities for independence.

Even though war had been won without an army, the Prince henceforth felt the need to possess one. The defense forces of the Principality henceforth count different officers from the army, the navy and the air force which mostly insure tasks of representation and participate in the organization of numerous commemorative events and charities.

So to cut a huge story short, the dude stuck it to the man and won, he now has his own country which is 8 times the size of Monaco and slightly bigger than Hong Kong at 18,500 acres is size. Unlike HK's population of over 8 million, Hutt River has a population of 30.

The principality does have over 14,000 'residents' who live overseas and it does have diplomatic relations with a number of countries and even has embasies in a few.

The place is in the middle of the bush and we had to take a 100 mile detour down a dirt track, dodging Emu's (I kid you not, where's Rod Hull when you need him? Oh yeah he's dead) to get there, is was worth it though. We were given a grand tour around the 'country' by the Prince himself and he even stamped our passports.

What more do you want?

That's it.

End of story.

See ya.

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Photos

Princess Fiona takes to her throne
in the Principality chapel

a seat fit for a Prince
in the Principality Chapel