Released into the wild posted 07/26/08 in Informational, news, The Press
January 21st, 2009 by altpambirmo

Peter Gregg, who was convicted of violating my privacy, and sentenced to loss of privacy for a year and a day was released from the Augusta Zoo today. He spent a year and a day on display, behind bars naked, with straw for bedding. Like all Zoo exhibits a plaque Identified him. Homo Sapians Sapians Genius Photojournalii Sub genius Paparazzi. A doctor looked after his health, he was fed bland but nutritious food. With the exceptions of his personal freedom and privacy, his needs for life were provided for.
There are Laws about privacy on Augusta Island. Basically they say that that photojournalists may ply their trade at public events to which the press is invited or expected to attend, but may not intrude into the private life of an individual, at a restaurant, on the beach, a hotel, or other place in which they can reasonably expect to be private. This means no shots taken on the Street. Which is where Gregg caught me. He sold that shot for $20,000 I understand. Much good it did him, as he spent it all on legal fees. Judge Cronyean in his summing up pointed out that there must be a balance between the freedom of the press, and civil behavior, and noted that the famous, like any other individual have the right to “be let alone”. It is one thing if there is an agreement to photo coverage, weather spoken or unspoken, but when an individual is going about their private life, and have not acquiesced to having their photo taken, at that point their privacy has been violated.
The Augustan legal code is specific and to the point. I hope the people with the long lenses take note.

Augusta Island

1814 - Present
An Airial View of my Island Home

An Aerial View of my Island Home

My Husband John and I purchased Augusta Island from Prince Frederick Eugene (IV) in the Late Eighties and have spent our summers here ever since, dividing our time between Los Angeles, California USA and Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. We have two sons, John Henry and Barry Chad, and a daughter, Penelope Rose. We live with two Great Danes, Bruiser and Duchess, and three Cats Princess Kitty, Julie, and Pete, along with an assortment of animals the boys bring home.

Here is a brief history of our Island home…

The Island is 6.5 miles wide by 23.5 miles long and has a total land area of 139 Sq. Miles. It is 975 miles East of Brisbane. The Island was uninhabited, apparently never known to the Polynesian peoples.
The Island has a coastal plain, with Jungle and scenic beaches, a mountainous interior and Lake Penelope roughly at mid point (the lake’s out flow provides the Island with hydroelectric Power) and several natural harbors. There are several outlying islands and reefs around the Island.

Port Ian is the main harbor, and the Island’s biggest settlement D’Este is where most of the Residents live. The Island is one of those peculiar artifacts of British history, similar to Guernsey, Jersey, Sark or the Isle of Man.

The Prince Regent’s brother The Prince Augustus Frederic, Duke of Sussex (sixth son of George III) had a younger son, George Frederick Eugene d’Este by his first wife Lady Augusta Murray (In August 1794, the Prerogative Court annulled the marriage on the grounds that it contravened the Royal Marriages Act of 1772 because it had not been approved by the King. Prince Augustus continued to live with Lady Augusta until 1801, when he received a parliamentary grant of £12,000. Lady Augusta retained custody of the children and received a maintenance of £4,000 a year.) With the marriage annulled, the children were legally considered Illegitimate. The Duke learned of the Island (discovered July 6, 1814) from it’s discoverer, Captain Ian Johnston of the English Bark The Portsmouth Rose, and bought the rights and location from him The Duke persuaded the Prince Regent to grant the island in perpetuity to George Frederick Eugene d’Este and Create him HH The Prince George of Augusta Island in 1816 as a sinecure. The Prince George of Augusta Island was a direct liege man of The Prince Regent, later George IV, and the Island was never administered by the English Government or placed under the administration of the Straits Settlements as were other Crown dependencies. The legal situation most closely resembles that of the Isle of Man. The Island for all of its settled history has been run as a Manor. There has always been the Demesne, composed of two parts - that part of the Island reserved for the owner’s use (formerly the D’Este family, and now us.) and the free holdings - that part of the Island leased or rented out That means that all of the Residents are tenants owing a fixed rent, and service to The Prince. There is obligation on both sides, as The Prince is required to maintain infrastructure and protect the Residents. Infrastructure includes such things as roads, the ferry, the hospital, public buildings (the courthouse for example) and the funds for this come out of the rents. The Prince is a full partner in all of the Island corporations (The Agricultural Co-Op, the Fisherman’s Co-Op, the Mining Company {now defunct} and so on) in which the heads of families hold shares. These all make up part of The Prince’s revenues (there’s a lot more, but I’m simplifying to make a clear explanation). All Services are fee based.
The Prince’s great grandfather instituted a limited democracy, Establishing an Island Senate and the house of Residents. The Senate is made up of Island notables, such as the Banker, the head of the Farmer’s Co-Op, The Doctor, The School Superintendent , head of the Fisherman’s Co-Op The Chief Constable, well you get the Idea. The Prince serves as head of State, the Monarch of the Island. The House of Residents is a proportionate house, the Island divided up into districts whom vote in their Representative. The Prince, in consultation with the Senate creates a budget, and then proposes it to the House of Residents for approval. By long custom, The Prince’s revenue is 1/3 of the total rents for maintenance and livery, while the other 2/3 ‘rd s are for his obligations to the Residents. The budget is limited to what it actually costs for infrastructure maintenance. If the budget won’t fit, then an Assessment is levied on all the households (Including The Prince) and the extra cost is divided equally between all the Island’s inhabitants. Rarely, a Bond is issued (Hydroelectric Plant, 1925) and must be approved by The Prince, The Senate, and the House of Residents.
The Island’s Law is based on British Common Law. Prince Frederick II insisted on a written Constitution. The Prince proposes a law in consultation with the Senate, and both the Senate and the House of Residents must approve it before it can be enacted. At the firm insistence of Prince Frederick II, the Constitution and all laws must be written in plain English, must state the purpose of the law and the intended result of the Law and is limited to the maintenance of Public Peace and Order. The Rights and Duties of The Monarch of the Island and the Island’s inhabitants are clearly enumerated (influenced by both the US Bill of Rights and The Rights of Man.)
The Currant Prince retains his Princely estate, although he is no longer the owner of the Island. The Prince is the Island’s Supreme Magistrate. He is also the head of the Constabulary and the Territorial Defense Forces. As Part of the purchase agreement, JB serves as The Prince’s day to day Administrator of his affairs on the Island. Some Residents call JB “The Regent” as a joke, and we just laugh.
JB has instituted some changes in how the budget works. He has established Trusts to provide income for certain services such as the Hospital, Ambulance, and staff, the Fire Brigade, the Ferries, Police Services, S.A.R.(which serves the coast guard function on the Island) and so on. The Trusts earn 35% more than the amount budgeted for each of the services and that 35% is rolled over into the Trusts (for a rainy day says JB which means that the Trust Budget can be adjusted in the future) which reduces the assessment burden on everybody. The Residents now make up the difference between the Trust budget and what it actually costs for these services.
Under the lease signed with Sun Resorts Ltd. part of their rent is in road maintenance, improvement and maintenance of the Hydroelectric plant (which helps enormously!).

The Island remained in the d’Este family until it was purchased by John and Pam Birmo in 1989 from Frederick Eugene (IV) d’Este. HH Frederick is the last of the d’Estes, as he has been childless due to war wounds acquired on PNG during fighting for the Kokoda Track during the Second World War for which HH received the VC. Still spry in his late 80’s, HH still maintains a residence on the Island, and returns every summer season.

The Island’s main exports until the late 19Th century were Bauxite, and Kentia Palms (in competition with Lord Howe Island). The Island’s economy was hard hit when the Bauxite ran out, and further when the Palm Blight struck in 1920 wiping out all the palms on the Island. The Island’s farmers shifted their export crops to fruits and berries (exported as extracts, juice, nectar and wine) with modest success. The Island’s fishermen have fared somewhat better, but have been facing increasing competition and falling catch sizes since the 1960’s.
In 1990 a lease was signed with Sun Resorts Ltd., a Naturist resort for a resort at the northern end of the Island in Plum Bay. Naturist tourism has greatly aided the Island’s economy, with the influx of several thousand guest workers and guests revenues have increased, allowing for improvements to the Island’s infrastructure.

Residents -

Residents are inhabitants of the Island and are also considered subjects. All Island Residents are legally British Subjects (just as the Manx are for instance).

Most of the long term Residents families have lived here for generations. New Residents are selected by the Prince, and tend to be Retired Commonwealth Military personnel. We have retired Royal Marines, SAS, British Army, Royal Navy, even a few Ghurkhas ( That’s a story in itself. Their officer (a close friend of HH) was badly wounded in the Malayan Emergency who was medically discharged with pension. They all felt honor bound to retire here to take care of him, and did so until his death in 1978. They remain on the Island because they like it.)

Summer Workers at the Sun Resorts are NOT Residents, but “Guest Workers” and the same for Sun Resort Management.