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THE INDEPENDENT SOVEREIGN STATE OF HUTT RIVER PROVINCE
HEMA Map reference 76/E3
28° 07' S 114° 39' E
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Statistics
Caravan Parks
Hutt River.
Services
See Northampton
Buildings of note
Unknown
Calendar of events
Unknown
Gift Shop & Flag poles
Church
Bust of Prince Leonard
The farm aspect
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Description
The Principality of Hutt River Province is an example of what you can do if you are game enough and far enough away from the authorities for it to be too much trouble for them to close you down.
A number of
drawn out complaints and refusal by bureaucrats to make any sensible
decisions led to a declaration of secession being sent to the Premier,
Governor and Prime Minister.
Hutt River passports, issued by the Principality, are accepted by a wide variety of countries including France, Greece, India and Lebanon. Prince Leonard has always travelled using his Hutt River passport and to date has had no problems with Australian Immigration so they do at least - begrudgingly - accept it.
The principality issues its own stamps and letters posted at Hutt River using their stamps are honoured by Australia Post (again rather grudgingly). At one time the currency issued by Hutt River Province was accepted by the Reserve Bank of Australia but due to currency registration problems this is no longer the case.
Due to a loop hole in the laws (at the time of secession) this independent, land locked nation pays no tax (except GST which no one can manage to avoid) to the Australian Government and in revenge the Government tries hard to make sure that no one can find Hutt River Province by neglecting to put up any road signs. (See our mud map below on how to get there.) The Australian Government also refuses to provide mains power to the property despite the fact that it would gain revenue from doing so - a case of cutting off the nose to spite the face we think.
In an event right out of the movie 'The Mouse that Roared' the tiny province declared war on the Commonwealth of Australia on December 2nd 1977. The 'war' lasted all of 2 days and without a shot being fired it all ended and peace was declared on December 4th. It is a principle of international law that any nation that is undefeated from a state of war will gain automatic sovereignty and the occupying power will be free to govern.
The Australian Government really dislikes the whole concept of Hutt River Province but under its own laws it can do very little about it. There is a very interesting Government document posted on the wall of the gift shop that says in effect that Hutt River Province has the right to exist under Australian law and Prince Leonard is exempt from paying tax. It also says that this needs to all be hushed up so others will not follow this example.
I suspect that the bureaucrats are patiently biding their time in the hopes that the whole thing will one day just fade away - after all taking any overt hostile action against Hutt River would only gain it more support. They have so far been waiting over 37 years.
Hutt River Province has its own post office and government admin building, a church, gift shop, tea rooms as well as some private dwellings and the usual farm buildings associated with that activity.
The caravan facility is not what we could call spacious, but there is room for a couple of vans and with power, hot water showers, washing machine, toilets and all the peace and quiet you can handle, it is a good spot to stop and explore the surrounding area. (The caravan park is also the second cheapest in the state after Bolgart at the time of writing).
Hutt River Province has a permanent population of around 30 people and there are more than 1,300 citizens scattered across the world.
Although it tends to be regarded as a bit of a laugh by many Australians, Hutt River Province has a very serious message behind its formation. It shows that, after all, it is possible for the individual to stand up to overbearing Governments and win.
Leonard George Casley
Born in Kalgoorlie on August 27th 1925. As a child his family moved to Rawlina and then back to Kalgoorlie/Boulder at the age of eight. The family moved to Fremantle, then back to Kalgoorlie again and back to Fremantle yet again, so Len's upbringing was one of continual movement.
After leaving school he worked as a shipping clerk while he studied accountancy at night. At the age of 18 he joined the RAAF and served for three years.
After leaving the RAAF he started his own exporting business and it was at this time that he first ran afoul of the various marketing boards that plague this state. (Marketing boards are basically monopolies, set up to market various goods, usually farmed goods, and their only reason for existance is to keep prices high.)
At the age of 21, Leonard married Shirley Joy Butler after a rather long 5 year courtship. The couple were to have 4 sons and 3 daughters.
Len then formed the Westonia Pastoral Co. and became a farmer.
After the dispute over quotas and the declaration of independence, the Federal Government handed the problem off to the State Government but a change of Prime Minister meant that eventually the Federal Government started to take much more notice of this pesky independent province.
Various foibles in the law meant that the province had to become a principality and Administrator Leonard became Prince Leonard.
The Shire of Northampton tried, unsuccessfully, to bring Hutt River down by threatening to demolish buildings that had not received council approval. Mail being sent to Hutt River was cut off until a letter of complaint sent to Prime Minister Gough Whitlam saw deliveries re-start.
Hutt River and its occupants were still gamely battling away when we visited them in 2007. All we can say is long may the principality survive.
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Unsealed roads are all in good condition. |
