Principality of Hutt River - Status and Criticism

Status and Criticism

The Australian Government on its official website has stated that it does not recognise the secession of Hutt River Province.

The Australian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Jeremy Bruer, upon hearing that an office purporting to represent the "Hutt River Province" was operating in Dubai, allegedly selling travel documents, stated that the Australian Government did not recognise the "Hutt River Province", legally or in any other way. An Iranian man who claimed to be an ambassador representing Hutt River Province, a Pakistani and a French woman were subsequently charged over the issuing of false passports and attempts to sell land to UAE residents under false pretences. Casley stated that the Iranian man had no diplomatic standing in the principality and had only made a single visit to the province.

Bruer further stated: "The area of land which is described as the 'Hutt River Province' is a privately owned wheat-growing property on the Hutt River, north of Geraldton in the State of Western Australia. It has no special status. It has no separate sovereignty and remains subject to the Australian Constitution and the laws of Australia." Regarding the use of titles, the ambassador said that: "The Australian Government does not recognise the 'royal titles' nor titles of office, such as 'Head of State', 'State minister' and 'Minister for Foreign Affairs' assumed by the family owning the property nor the use of terms such as 'consulates' and 'principality' in relation to the 'Hutt River Province'".

However, the Hutt River Province argues that it is an independent entity within the Australian legal system and the Commonwealth has no right to dispute the claimed de facto legality that it was given in error by the Governor General's office, and its own failure to respond to the claim. According to Casley, to overturn this de facto recognition, the West Australian Governor General's office would have to submit the secession to arbitration, something which the Hutt River Province claims is not done due to legal uncertainty over the result, related to the fact that Western Australia in its entirety was never officially proclaimed as British Territory. Passports issued by the "Hutt River Province" are not legally recognised by the Australian Government, but have been accepted on a case-by-case basis for overseas travel.

In 2010, Brendon Grylls, the Western Australian Minister for Regional Development and Lands, was asked if his state had a position on the province. He replied "Only that Prince Leonard is an enigma ... There is nothing currently on my agenda as Minister ...that relates to that."

Hong Kong recognises Hutt River as a legitimate state in regards of incorporation for a company, but is reviewing the recognition after the issue was raised in an adverse manner by Australian media