principality of hutt river is a country

And this cannot be deny. [55] Casley stated the man had no diplomatic standing in the Principality and had only made a single visit to the province. The principality was a regional tourist attraction until it announced it was closed to tourists after 31 January 2020. [citation needed], After 2 September 2004, Hutt River Province/Principality accepted company registrations. Leonard Casley founded the Principality of Hutt River in 1970. It was dissolved on 3 August 2020. Tourism was one of Hutt River's key sources of income, particularly over the past 15 years, as the Internet helped spread its odd tale across the world. "Unusual World Coins", by Colin R. Bruce, Krause Publications, 2005, This page was last edited on 18 December 2020, at 15:02. [7] The micronation was founded on 21 April 1970 when Leonard Casley declared his farm to be an independent country, the Hutt River Province. [20] He also repeatedly claimed that he was classed by the ATO as a "non-resident of Australia for income tax purposes" and did not pay tax. Hutt River has no standing army, but a number of its citizens have been awarded military commissio… In 2007, the High Court of Australia dismissed an application by Casley for leave to appeal against a judgment against him relating to his son Leonard's failure to file tax returns. [65][66] She was styled as "Her Royal Highness Princess Shirley of Hutt, Dame of the Rose of Sharon", and she played host to dignitaries and diplomatic representatives visiting the Principality each year,[47] as well as receiving television crews and magazine journalists. But, like tourism destinations around the world, the principality had been left vulnerable due to the economic impact of the pandemic. It reads in part: "I am to convey Her Majesty's good wishes to you and to all concerned for a most enjoyable and successful celebration on 23rd and 24th of April to mark the forty-sixth anniversary of the Principality of Hutt River." "[42][43] An appeal to the Court of Appeal was dismissed. The Principality's currency was the Hutt River Dollar, which was divided into 100 Cents. ", There's a perfect beach for every week of the year. "They're very harsh times economically and health wise around the world due to Covid and we're feeling that too.". Principality of Hutt River, the other country within Australia Between Geraldton and Kalbarri on the coast of Western Australia is a beautiful scenic drive past some of Australia’s most magnificent yet rugged coastline. [22], On 2 December 1977 the principality declared war on Australia. Up to 200 different commemorative coins in three denominations each ($5, $10 and $20) are believed to have been minted to commemorate Desert Storm, World War II, The Fathers of Baseball, etc. The principality claims to be an independent sovereign stateand to have achieved legal status on 21 April 1970, although it remains … The Principality covered an area of 18,500 acres (75 km 2) and claimed to be an independent sovereign state that seceded from Australia in 1970 as a result of a dispute over wheat production quotas. With a population of 23, the tiny province is roughly the same size as Hong Kong. When Prince Leonard died in February last year he left behind a US$2.15 million tax bill, which forced his son and successor, Prince Graeme Casley, to announce last week the principality would sell its land to pay the debt. Casley also claimed he made a successful court claim using the law of unjust enrichment to successfully seize government land surrounding his farm which he hoped would increase his wheat quota. While Prince Leonard originally decided to secede from Australia over his disagreement with farming regulations, he turned the principality into a unique tourist attraction, with visitors arriving to buy passports, currency and stamps. The Principality of Hutt river is situated 595 kilometers north of Perth and the area is 75 square kilometers. These were denominated from 10 Cents to 2 Dollars. [62] Although he and the cabinet never officially adopted the proposal, there was a decree stating that any constitution would be in effect while under consideration, except for any clauses that conflict with the bill of rights, so the proposal essentially became a provisional constitution.[59]. The Principality introduced a set of low denomination banknotes in 1974. At this point, Casley claimed that international law allowed them to secede and declare independence from the Commonwealth of Australia. Join us on a 12-month journey to see them all, Masters of micronations: Meet people who started their own tiny countries, Australia hotel bans rowdy emus for bad behavior, New Zealand's star tourism attraction struggles as visitors stay away post-Covid. The principality's capital, Nain, was named after Nain in Galilee. It is located on a large farming … Since the principality’s founding, the Australian government has been somewhat ambivalent over its legal position. "Once mum passed away (in 2013) I spent five years full time working alongside my father and it was more than just a father-son relationship we had a very deep working relationship. Tourism is also important to the Principality's economy. Casley pursued a number of occupations before purchasing a large wheat farm near the towns of Northampton and Geraldton in the 1960s. Mercer, Daniel "Hong Kong gives nod to Hutt River", Johnson Matthey Refining, Rochester, New York, "Micronation : The Principality of Hutt River | Our Naked Australia", "Hutt River Principality will close its doors 'until further notice' due to financial hardship", "Official Home Site of the Principality of Hutt River", "Prince Leonard of Hutt River Principality abdicates to son Graeme", "Australian micronation 'prince' abdicates after 46 years", "Hutt River Principality now ruled by Prince Graeme as Prince Leonard stands aside", "Hutt River micro-nation founder Prince Leonard dead aged 93", "Prince Leonard, who founded Hutt River Province after stoush with WA government, dies aged 93", "Principality of Hutt River to close its borders! None, however, are as renowned as the Principality of Hutt River -- also known as Hutt River Province -- which has created headlines across the world for the past 50 years. Casley did this because he believed it would enable him to take advantage of the British Treason Act of 1495, which provides that the de facto king of a nation cannot be guilty of treason in relation to any act against the lawful king and that anyone who interfered with that monarch's duties could be charged with treason. At least one company experienced in the registration of entities in traditional offshore jurisdictions (British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands etc.) "Now Leonard wants a uni. ", by Karen Valenti, 17 February 2003. Prince Leonard did not suggest in these cases that he was not subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Australia. [58] The Principality had no standing army, but a number of its citizens were awarded military commissions. Principality coins were issued from 1976 to 2000, then from 2007 to 2018. Principality of Hutt River, Western Australia: See 35 reviews, articles, and 40 photos of Principality of Hutt River, ranked No.780 on Tripadvisor among 2,243 attractions in … Voting is compulsory by law in Australia, but Casley claimed to have successfully removed the names of Hutt River residents from the Australian electoral roll. The Hutt River Province then had a population of 12. When he learned the Australian government was pursuing the principality over unpaid taxes, he reportedly consulted his own government and, rather than pay, decided to declare war. Today we did an interesting trip out from Kalbarri to the Principality of Hutt River, which is an Independent Sovereign State having seceded from Australia on the 21/4/1970 It is a very interesting story and worth reading the following posts if you haven't heard of this place. The Principality would no longer accept visitors, would cease to issue entry and exit visas, and would stand down most government services and offices for the duration of the hiatus. On Sept. 12, 2006, the word “Province” was formally dropped from the state’s title and it became the Principality of Hutt River (PHR). All of these Principality coins are contained in the standard catalogue of Unusual World Coins by Colin Bruce II, edited by Tom Michael and George Cuhaj. The principality claimed to be an independent sovereign state, founded on 21 April 1970. There are a number of buildings including a Chapel, Post Office, Government Offices and Tea Rooms with a pool. [63], Casley was married to Shirley (née Butler) until her death on 7 July 2013,[64] when the Principality went into a period of mourning, closing some of its services. [citation needed]. In February 2017, at the age of 91 and after ruling for 45 years, Casley abdicated the throne in favour of his youngest son,[8] Prince Graeme. Casley formed the Principality of Hutt River (which he originally called the “Hutt River Province”), a landlocked micronation consisting of his 75 square kilometers of land located about 500 km north of Perth. Casley said that he nonetheless remained loyal to Queen Elizabeth II. The "Lest We Forget" coin was reissued in 2009. The Principality of Hutt River, often referred to by its former name, the Hutt River Province, was a micronation in Australia. [56], In April 2016, the Principality received a letter from Queen Elizabeth II which communicated the Queen's good wishes on the anniversary of the founding of the Principality 46 years ago, on 21 April 1970. [46] The Australian Government also told foreign governments, "We have seen the purported 'Department of Territories Minute' before. 3.The Passport as used by the persons claiming to be Principality Citizens are valid. Location : Within the Australian state of West Australia about two hours north of Geraldton. [21], On 15 February 1977, despite Prince Leonard's claims to sovereignty, he was successfully prosecuted for failing to comply with requirements to furnish the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) with required documents. Principality of Hutt River is sovereign and independent country for 38 years. "[27], The Australian government unequivocally stated on its website that it did not recognise the secession of the principality. The short state of war between the principality and Australia was a scheme whereby the Prince's purpose was to argue that, under the Geneva Treaty Convention of 12 August 1949, a government should show full respect to a nation undefeated from a state of war. [31], In December 2019, citing declining revenue from agriculture as well as a drop in tourist numbers, the Principality issued a media release to announce that it would be closing its borders with effect from 31 January 2020. [17] Initially, the five families who owned farms at Hutt River banded together to fight the quota,[citation needed] and Casley lodged a protest with the Governor of Western Australia, Sir Douglas Kendrew. In 1995 Gale died and it was found that in addition to promoting Principality coins and stamps, he had registered "Hutt River Province" as the name of a Queensland company of which he was sole owner and from which no profits were forwarded to the Principality. In recent years, however, it's been known as a quirky tourist attraction. [citation needed], In 1997, the legislation committee presented a proposal for a constitution to Casley and his cabinet. The principality claimed to be an independent sovereign state, founded on 21 April 1970. The Principality of Hutt River is situated 595 km north of Perth, Western Australia and is about 75 square km in area, consisting of some 18,500 acres of land. However, the Act can be used to isolate them by requirement of visa’s. [21] It may be more than coincidence that this declaration of war came in just a few months after a court decision where Casley was fined for failing to furnish the ATO with certain documents. The territory was located 517 km (354 mi) north of Perth, near the town of Northampton in the state of Western Australia. A$100 denomination proof commemorative coin issue that contained 1 troy ounce of pure palladium sold for $299 in 1989; the 2012 value of the palladium content was $630.[68][69]. [60] Concerned that Hutt River registrations "may be sold as part of a tax avoidance or evasion arrangement", in April 2012 the Australian Taxation Office warned potential purchasers that the registrations have no legal basis and "could be illegal". [20] Casley believed that under Australian law the federal government had two years to respond to Casley's declaration of sovereignty. Tourism was also important to the economy with 40,000 tourists, predominantly from overseas countries, visiting the principality every year. Well, the story behind Hutt River is very interesting indeed. [16], In 2008, the Council of the European Union issued a memorandum identifying Hutt River passports among known "fantasy passports ... issued by private organisations and individuals" to which a visa should not be affixed. The Principality of Hutt River (PHR) is not accepting further immigration to the nation at this time due to the fact that an expansion of the basic infrastructure has to be completed before the country can look toward accommodating a larger population and taking the next steps in it's growth and advancement. as tax havens were authorised to act as a registered agent for PHR incorporations. [26], In 1977, $1 coins were struck to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II. Principality is a legal entity. When Casley declared himself "Prince", the administration board clause lost effect and the Hutt River Principality became an absolute monarchy, with a legislation committee to draft new legislation. Prince Leonard Casley, pictured in 1998 with his French-born wife, Princess Shirley. The Principality of Hutt River is a micronation located inland near Perth, in Australia, that bills itself as the "second largest country on Australia". [18], At about this time, Leonard Casley styled himself "His Majesty Prince Leonard I of Hutt". Micronations are entities that claim to be sovereign states but aren't legally considered independent, as opposed to microstates like Vatican City, which have internationally recognized sovereignty. Fifty years since declaring its sovereignty from the rest of the country, one of Australia's most well-known micronations is to be dissolved. In 2010, the Principality issued a $30 gold- and silver-plated brass coin to mark the 40th anniversary of independence. The Hong Kong Registry, however, were looking at reviewing their list of accredited places for company incorporation after the issue was raised in an adverse manner by Australian media. The Principality of Hutt River, previously known as the Hutt River Province, is the oldest micronation in Australia. Travelers could visit the principality's Post Office to send a letter or buy Hutt River stamps, then peruse the Memorabilia Department and Historical Society, before enjoying a light meal in its tea rooms. It was dissolved on 3 August 2020. Our borders will be closed to all (including tourists) and all government external services will cease at close of business Friday 31 January 2020 until further notice. Hutt River Province Principality is situated 595 kilometers (370 mi) north of Perth and covers an area of about 75 square kilometers (30 mi^2). 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