Australia; Mini-states Down Under are sure they can secede

By Nick Squires in Sydney 12:01AM GMT 24 Feb 2005
You won't find them on any map but, in the minds of their creators at least, they are as real as Brisbane or Bondi Beach.
As Australia wrestles with the issue of whether to become a republic, it faces a constitutional challenge of its own as a growing number of mini-states declare their "independence".
The trend started in 1970 when a West Australian farmer, Leonard Casley, announced his property's secession as a protest over grain quotas, proclaiming himself Prince Leonard of Hutt River Province.
Prince Leonard and his wife, Princess Shirley, continue to run their tiny principality, issuing passports and welcoming thousands of tourists a year.
Australia boasts about 20 "nations", each undeterred by the fact that their existence has no legal foundation. Some are motivated by ideology, others by a grudge against the local council or a reluctance to pay taxes.
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