Principality of Hutt River | |
---|---|
Unrecognised micronation | |
Area claimed | 75 km2 (29 sq mi) of land near Northampton, Western Australia 28°4′28″S 114°28′14.5″E / 28.07444°S 114.470694°E |
Claimed by | Leonard Casley |
Dates claimed | April 21, 1970[1]–August 3, 2020 |
The Principality of Hutt River, often referred to by its former name, the Hutt River Province, was a micronation in Australia, proclaimed on 21 April 1970 when farmer Leonard Casley declared his farm to be a sovereign state, the "Hutt River Province". He claimed to have seceded from Australia, which occurred during his dispute with the authorities concerning wheat production quotas. A few years later, Casley began styling himself as "Prince Leonard" and granting family members royal titles, although he did not include the word "principality" in the official name until 2006. In 2017, Casley's claim to rulership was taken over by his son Graeme,[2][3][4] who dropped the claim to sovereignty on 3 August 2020.[5][6]
The claimed territory was located 517 km (321 mi) north of Perth, near the town of Northampton in the state of Western Australia. It had an area of 75 square kilometres (29 sq mi), making it larger than several recognized countries. It was not recognised as a country by the Australian Government nor any other national government, and the High Court of Australia and Supreme Court of Western Australia rejected submissions arguing that it was not subject to Australian laws.[7]
The "principality" was a regional tourist attraction until it announced it was closed to tourists after 31 January 2020.[8][9] It issued its own currency, stamps and passports (which are not recognised by the Australian government or any other government).[10]
Leonard Casley died on 13 February 2019.[11][12]
MacBeth
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).