He moves at a slower pace these days courtesy of advanced emphysema but Leonard Casley, still puts on a good show.

The self-styled Prince Leonard of Hutt notches 40 years this week since he declared secession from the Commonwealth of Australia of his 7,500 hectare farm north of Geraldton in the Mid West of WA.
It was a bold move brought on by what the amateur lawyer believed were draconian wheat quotas, robbing him of more than 90 percent of a bumper harvest.
“I exercised the international law of titles to form the self-preservation government: if anyone wants to know if we succeeded with the secession, we simply say that we’re still here,” Mr Casley, told ABC TV’s Landline program.
In four decades he estimates a couple of million tourists have visited the Hutt River Principality. These days around 40,000, mostly young backpackers make the trek each year to have their passports stamped and to hear the 84-year-old’s set piece routines.

“Now here’s a very nice map we got recently from Poland, a map of the world and here’s Australia, ” he tells a group of 15 mostly Europeans who’ve arrived in camper vans and a small outback tour bus.

“As you probably know Canberra is the capital, they forgot to put it on. Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane are very large cities, they forgot to put them on too, but they put Hutt River province on, it’s a very good map.
How many countries have you visited this year?” he asks one of the visitors.
“Three” the young man answers.
“Which ones?”
“Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia.”
“Wrong,” says Leonard Casley.
“It’s four. You’ve visited Hutt River now too.”

Self promotion has been a major factor in the success of the Hutt River Province. It has its own currency and postage stamps, mostly bearing the image of the old prince.

“These are some of the stamps available, ” he says, offering a souvenir pack to his audience.
“I do think this stamp is one of the better ones, a real handsome man in there don’t you think , when I was a little bit younger?”

It’s unclear how much money Hutt River would be making from its young visitors. In the 1970s the tourists were mostly retirees on coach tours and were more likely to spend up on souvenirs. Today’s backpackers appear more conscious of saving their cash for things like food and alcohol.

But according to Leonard Casley , any income earned at Hutt River is tax free and he produces personal returns from the Australian Tax Office as proof. They list his income as zero.
” We are recognised as non-residents of the Commonwealth and no taxes are payable on incomes earned within the principality,” he says.
It’s not possible to verify that claim as the ATO won’t comment on the affairs of individuals.
However, constitutional law expert, Professor George Williams from the University of NSW, says Hutt River’s “citizens” would still be liable.
“No Australian is exempt from paying tax whether they’ve created their own province. It’s clear the law applies equally to everyone and in this case if someone has not paid tax the likely answer they simply don’t have any income that is liable. If they do have income and they’ve failed to pay tax like everyone else they would face penalties, including the possibility of jail,” says Professor Williams.
He says it’s not illegal for any Australian to call their own property whatever they like, even a principality, as long as they don’t break any laws.
“It’s certainly a curiosity. It begs for amusement for some people but as a matter of law it is very clear. You cannot decide to secede from the Australian nation by setting up your own province,” he says.
“I think the authorities are quite wise to let people do what they want in this situation. So long as they continue to obey the rules and the law they should be able to take whatever path they like.”
WA’s Minister for Lands and Regional Development, Brendon Grylls agrees. He says the state has no issue with Hutt River or its ageing monarch.
“Prince Leonard is an enigma, well known across the state,” says Mr Grylls.
“You wouldn’t be able to mention Hutt River Province without anyone knowing. There is nothing on my agenda as Minister for Regional Development or Lands that relates to that except that he’s doing quite well out of the tourism, of attracting people to the province.”

Whether the tourists will keep coming when the province’s founder passes on remains to be seen. Crown Prince Ian, is the oldest of seven children and the designated heir and successor. For now he’s happy running the province’s farming operation, but he reckons he’ll take to the throne with ease.

“Oh no it doesn’t really sort of throw me that much as we’ve been with it right from day one so you’ve sort of grown up with it,” says Ian Casley.

“Quite often we’ll be involved with what’s going on down there with the tourists, yeah, change the old togs, get a bit of something decent on, that sort of thing and yeah, quite often we get down there and try and work with the farming aspect of it and then down the province side as well.”
Prince Leonard says there is a legal framework in place to keep the Principality going indefinitely.
“Well it is a constitution monarchy, it is set up under a constitution and my son Prince Ian is due to take it,” he says.
“There is also a committee of seven, the crown committee, if ever a person is not fit for it then that committee can step in and vote the person out and vote the next one in.”
Sean Murphy’s report on the Hutt River province will air on landline this Sunday on ABC 1 from midday.