Hutt River’s separatists return to rule by Australia
World’s smallest ‘free’ state dissolved after 50 years as founder’s son buckles under pressure of tax bill
AFTER 50 years of defiance, one of the world’s smallest self-declared states − the Principality of Hutt River − is to rejoin Australia.
Leonard Casley, a wheat farmer and mathematician, declared the province independent in 1970 after a clash with Australia’s federal government over wheat production quotas.
But the plucky micronation is no more now that its government has decided to dissolve it after receiving a large tax bill, experiencing a drop in tourist numbers, and the death of its founder last year.
Mr Casley − better known as Prince Leonard I − and the principality, situated 350 miles north of Perth, gained a degree of international fame as the 30sqmile state issued passports, stamps, citizenships and a new currency, the Hutt River Dollar. Prince Leonard also commissioned a sculpture in his own likeness in the area. Although the Australian government never officially recognised Hutt River, for decades tourists in Western Australia made the journey to the remote province to have their passport stamped, and some visitors were even made knights of the principality. An estimated 10,000 people are citizens, even though hardly any of them live there.
In 1977, Prince Leonard declared war on Australia following repeated demands for payments by the Australian Taxation Office but he withdrew the threat several days later which is just as well since the principality had no standing army. However, it does have a national anthem, penned and recorded by Hampstead-born singer, the late Jon English.
In April 2016, the Queen’s senior correspondence officer, Sonia Bonici, wrote to Prince Leonard
‘Being part of this unique experiment has been a great privilege’
conveying to him Her Majesty’s wish for “a most enjoyable and successful celebration” of the forthcoming 46th anniversary of his declaration of independence.
The letter also acknowledged the Prince’s previous birthday greeting to the Queen, and said that Her Majesty was sorry to hear of Leonard’s recent fall and hoped he had made a full recovery.
The Hutt River sovereign abdicated in favour of his youngest son, Prince Graeme, in 2017 – the same year the province lost a Supreme Court case and was ordered to pay almost A$3million
‘It’s history and you can’t unwrite it ... you just have to hope the story continues’
(£1.64million) in back tax. Prince Leonard died in 2019.
Yesterday, Hutt River issued a statement that it would be dissolved and the land will be sold as farmland to pay most of the bill. Prince Graeme said he did not believe the sale would cover what was owed. “We are meeting with the tax office to try to come up with a more favourable figure,” he said.
Falling revenue from tourism was also a factor in the decision he confirmed, as the industry has taken a battering from the pandemic.
Prince Graeme hopes the story of Hutt River’s stand against bureaucracy will be remembered, although its archives would be kept “under lock and key”, he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “That’s the history, and you can’t unwrite it … you just have to keep the archives and hope the story continues for the family.”
In a sign-off email, published on Watoday.com, Royal Hutt River Legion Major Richard Ananda Barton wrote: “Being part of the unique experiment that was the Principality of Hutt River has been a great privilege, I have met wonderful people and helped good causes. While it is gone, it will not be forgotten.”