People you meet along the way - Episode One - The Australian who would be King.

Terry Gallaway, a journalist, shares the story of Ron Serina, who created a fun park near Warragamba Dam in 1968. Despite its popularity, rising local council rates threatened the park's future, leading Serena to seek secession from Australia. This resulted in legal battles and a jail sentence for contempt. Galloway recounts a humorous meeting with Serina after his release and highlights media attention on Serina's anti-tax views.

Transcript

1:09

Hello, I'm Terry Galloway, longtime journalist in newspapers, radio and television. On these podcasts, I hope to bring to you interesting, quirky historical items and the behind the scenes. Look at some of the stories I covered over many years as a police and crime reporter. But firstly, the Australian who would be king Of all the characters who've provided the Western regions of Sydney. Over the years, one man needs to be remembered for his astuteness courage and persistence. 50 years ago this year, Ron Serena developed a new fun park near Warragamba Dam, that massive reservoir that to this day is the mainstay of Sydney's water supply. Ron chose a site alongside Stafford Bullins, African Lion Safari. The drive-through facility where visitors could get up close and personal with the kings of the jungle, opened in 1968. It attracted a reported 200,000 visitors each year. Riding on the success of that venture, Bullen went on to nearby CIA a year later to open Bullins Animal World. Serena's Fun park also rode on the back of the wave of a support for the entertainment facilities until the local council stepped in to demand a slice of the action by way of a large increase in rates. Serena objected strongly to the increase, claiming it would threaten the viability of his entertainment facility and denied the children of Sydney a fun place to be. The council failed to agree so Serena decided to secede from Australia to establish his own micronation at war. Gamba following in the footsteps of Prince Leonard of Hut River five years earlier who'd taken the same action in 1970 in Western Australia. The council was not amused and took Serena to the courts with a judge then taking his side and ordering Serena to pay his debt. He stoically refused. The court also was not amused and ordered that he be jailed for three months or until he had purged himself of the contempt. As a young newspaper man, I covered Ron's story, and on the day of his release, king Ron came to the office, lodging a complaint that prison food was so good and plentiful, that he'd gained too much weight. His story also attracted the Sydney Morning Herald, who reported that King Ron, the anti-tax monarch would be the star attraction of a taxation protest rally in Sydney. The story also picked up by Michael Willis, program on television with King Ron. Invited to join Dame Edna ever and another guest on the show. I am Terry Gallo. There's more to come.