The Daily Lifeweb design and personal blog by Evan Skuthorpe

A curious case… the Principality of Hutt River has claimed to be an independent sovereign state within the State of Western Australia.

Leonard George Casley’s farm where the Principality is now situated, had around 4,000 hectares or 9,900 acres in old-speak of wheat ready to harvest when the Western Australian quotas were issued which allowed Casley to sell only 40 hectares worth. Five families who owned farms in Hutt River banded together to fight the quota. Casley lodged a protest with the Governor of Western Australia Sir Douglas Kendrew who replied “no rectification of our Quota would be allowed” which, as the Queen’s representative, made Her Majesty technically liable, in Tort, for applying an unlawful imposition as the quota had not yet been passed into law. Casely lodged a claim for $52 million hoping that this would force a revision of the quota. Two weeks later the government introduced a bill into Parliament to “resume” their rural lands under compulsory acquisition. Several approaches to the government to reconsider the acquisition bill failed and Casley and his associates resorted to the Treason Act 1495, a British law, which they felt allowed them to secede and declare their independence from the Commonwealth of Australia.

The government of Western Australia determined it could do nothing without the intervention of the Commonwealth. The Governor-General of Australia, Sir Paul Hasluck, stated that it was unconstitutional for the Commonwealth to intervene. In correspondence with the Governor-General’s office, Casley was inadvertently addressed as the “Administrator of the Hutt River Province” which, under the application of Royal Prerogative, makes this recognition binding on all courts. The government then threatened him with prosecution Casley styled himself His Royal Highness Prince Leonard of Hutt to take advantage of a Commonwealth law where a monarch could not only not be charged and that anyone who interfered with his duties could be charged with treason.

On the whole, the Australian Government departments do not interfere with the sovereignty of Hutt River Province. The ATO (Australian Taxation Office) has not acted against the Principality and government authorities are unable or unwilling to act against Province. it also does not pay taxes.

A case of using the system to beat the system?

Just downloaded Rock n’ Roll Outlaw from itunes after having come across this video of Rose Tattoo. A classic Australian proper pub rock band of the same era as AC/DC. If they’re cool enough to have been inspiration for Guns n’ Roses then they’re cool enough for you.

This is Rose Tattoo’s video for Rock n’ Roll Outlaw taken from the 1978 album of the same name.

Just on the train on the way to work and the sun is low over the horizon casting a rather nice orange hue to shine through the atmosphere. It reminded me of watching the sun come up or go down back in Australia. You’re actually able to see the speed at which the Earth spins around on it’s axis, it’s pretty cool. Here in the UK due to the position of the country on the planet in relation to the sun during the northern hemisphere winter, the sun is very low and seems to hang around for an age.

So I was walking home from town tonight after getting off at Hammersmith cos the gay Central Line was down due to someone under the train in East London. Anyway, a minicab drove past slowly and it reminded me of a few years ago when the subject of cars was being discussed amongst myself and my English colleagues. I mentioned a Station Wagon and the freaks said I was so Australian and that it was an Estate. What the fuck is an estate I demanded! It’s a fucking Station Wagon! Everyone knows it’s a Station Wagon! Its original design was that of being useful on a station with it’s big enclosed back end.

Now what the fuck is an Estate!? Turns out the English knew it for the same purpose only that it wasn’t used on station but but on an ‘Estate’. Kind of like a posh English knobs version of a non-working farm that gentrified gayboys lived in.

You learn something everyday!

Ever fancied entering a water tank with a 700kg crocodile? Yes? Well now you can in Darwin. A place called Crocosaurus Cove allows you to enter a perspex ‘cage’ with a mesh grill at the top for air and swim down to view a pissed off crocodile. Cruel? Maybe. Fun? Hell yes.

Last Saturday was spent at the Shepherds Bush Walkabout for their Australian Bushfire Appeal. Open from 10am to 2am, I was there from 3pm till 2am, and somehow managed to stay standing.

The event raised over £20,000 for the Australian Red Cross so good on everyone who attended. And well done to the Walkabout for hosting such an event.

I also managed to meet 2 lovely ladies during the event. One of which I somehow lost track of, while the other wouldn’t lose track of me…

So last Friday night I read on the BBC that Kevin 07 has decided to open the recently completed but never used detention centre on Christmas Island. The one that he said he’d shut after coming to power. The one that was built by the previous Howard government for the purpose of housing illegal migrants attempting to reach Australia. The one that was part of the wider plan by said previous government to prevent and deter people smugglers from attempting to bring illegal migrants to the Australian mainland. The plan that worked. The one that the ALP said they would do away with if they came to power.

Well, the ALP came to power and honoured their pledge. Now it seems, that KRudd has realised that his parties pledge might have been a bit of a mistake…. At the time of writing, 7 boat loads of illegal migrants from Middle Eastern countries have since been intercepted by the Royal Australian Navy in the last 3 months. So since KRudd 007 and his ALP union mates got their hands back on the reins and implemented their crucial ellection winning policies, in the face of reality, they’re now reversing their election promises just over a year into their first term.

Can I ask again… why did the Australian electorate vote Howard out and Rudd in? A case of long term memory problems or the ignorance of a new voting generation perhaps.

It’s that time of year again. The Christmas/birthday/new years trifecta. Christmas 2008 will be spent in St Petersburg while my 27th (so depressing) birthday will be spent in Red Square, Moscow. I’m looking forward to buying one of those fur hats that all the Ruskies wear and no-doubt some good vodka. Maybe even some caviar if it’s not too expensive.

Then I’ll be back in London in time for what will be my last ever new years bash in this country before heading home to Australia and setting up shop in Sydney.

Onwards and upwards as they say.

Yesterday I posted an article about the discovery of what was thought to be the remains of a downed Airman from World War Two hanging in the trees of Papua New Guinea. Reported on the BBC this morning, the Australian Defence Force team sent to investigate found it to be no more than some moss on a branch.

“An Australian Defence Force (ADF) statement said that although the location of the find was below a flight path commonly used by Allied aircraft during WWII sorties, the “remains” were in fact a moss-covered branch.” There you go then.

More can be read of the discovery here.

Recently a man by the name of John, while trekking the Kokoda Trail, happened upon what he thought to be a body hanging in the trees above. He was taking photos of some flowers in the canopy when he noticed what he thought looked like a human body twisting in the breeze.

It is thought that if indeed it is a human body, it may be the body of an Airman from World War Two, no doubt Australian or Japanese or American even.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is sending a team to attempt to recover the remains.

More can be read on the BBC here and here.