Maltese Australians are Australian citizens who are fully or partially of Maltese descent or Malta-born persons who reside in Australia. According to the 2021 Census, there were 198,989 people of Maltese descent in Australia and 35,413 Malta-born people residing in the country at the moment of the census.[2]
While most of them emigrated to Australia from Malta, a number emigrated from the United Kingdom where they had settled after having been expelled from Egypt, as holders of British passports, during the Suez Crisis.[3]
History
Migrants from Malta and Gozo working in sugar -cane farms in Mackay, Queensland, 1910sMaltese immigrants land in Sydney from the SS Partizanka, 1940s
The first Maltese to arrive in Australia was possibly transportee John Pace in June 1790, though it is not clear if he was transported from Malta or if he was Maltese at all.[4] The first certain Maltese to arrive in Australia were convicts around 1810.[5] The first Maltese immigrant (as opposed to convict or bonded servant) is thought to have been Antonio Azzopardi who arrived in 1838.[6] Many attempts were made at organised mass migration throughout the 19th century but it was only in 1883 the first group of 70 labourers (and nine stowaways) arrived.
Historically, Maltese immigrants were subject to the White Australia policy. In 1916, a group of 214 Maltese agricultural labourers left for Melbourne aboard a French ship, due to arrive on the date of the conscription referendum. When this became known in Australia, supporters of the "No" vote claimed that the government was importing cheap "coloured labour" to replace Australian workers conscripted for overseas service. The Maltese were called "coloured job jumpers" and the Australian Workers' Union described them as a "black menace". Realising the political danger of allowing the Maltese to land, Prime Minister Billy Hughes – who supported the "Yes" vote – refused them entry under the Immigration Restriction Act 1901, and they were forced to land in Nouméa, New Caledonia. This decision was controversial, as the Maltese were popular among ex-servicemen due to their support for the war effort. After three months, they were allowed to re-enter Australia, but only after being detained upon arrival for another two weeks. The migrants became known in Malta as "il-tfal ta Billy Hughes" ("the children of Billy Hughes").[7]
Group and mass migration gradually picked up, first, to Queensland and, after World War I, to Sydney whose automobile industry drew many. Immigration was not without difficulty as Maltese workers tended to be looked down upon and restrictions and quotas were applied. A significant percentage of the Maltese immigrants had intended to stay only temporarily for work but many settled in Australia permanently. Maltese immigration to Australia reached its peak during the 1960s.[8]
The majority of Maltese immigrants reside in Melbourne's western suburbs, firstly in the older suburbs of Sunshine and St Albans, before moving to newer neighbouring suburbs such as Caroline Springs, Taylors Lakes and Hillside, the latter having the largest rate of Maltese ancestry in Melbourne.[9] Maltese are numerous as well in Sydney's western suburbs of Greystanes and Horsley Park. The Maltese, as in their home country, are predominantly Roman Catholic.[10]
One of the first women to migrate from Malta to Australia was Carmela Sant in 1915. The move was prompted by her husband Giuseppe Ellul, who had migrated in 1913. Giuseppe Ellul was a stonemason in Mosta before moving to Australia to commence a successful career in sugar cane and dairy farming in Mackay, Queensland. In 1916 the couple gave birth to the first born Maltese Australian, Joseph Ellul.
259 Maltese boys and 51 Maltese girls were sent alone to Catholic institutions in Western and South Australia between 1950 and 1965, following negotiations between the Maltese and Western Australian governments which had started in 1928 when Perth-based Maltese priest Father Raphael Pace urged the Christian Brothers to include Maltese children in its emerging migration scheme. Instead of receiving a better education as their Maltese parents hoped for, many of them were exploited for building works, and were never scholarised in English, while also forgetting their own Maltese language. Similar to other children living with the Christian Brother, the children were abused and measures were taken to not allow or limit contact with their family members in Malta.[11]
Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza is Maltese song competition held on a day near September 21. All songs are performed in the Maltese language and is one of the most anticipated events on the Maltese musical calendar. The event first took place back in 1983 in a span of four years until 1987 before returning just 10 years later in 1997 going on to take place each and every year since then. Several local stars like to submit their entries into such a prestigious musical event due to the fact that the songs are written in Maltese. In recent years there were a number of winners who went on to be successful both locally and abroad. Below you could find the list of the past winners.
L-Għanja tal-Poplu is a popular Maltese song competition first organized by Youth Travel Circle (YTC) on 5 May 1973 at the St. Albert College in Valletta. The founder of YTC is Rev. Maurice Mifsud. Initially the contest had to register as YTC members. From 1987 onward, the contest took a national dimension. The competing songs are sung primarily in Maltese and are written either by the singers themselves or other songwriters. In the 1990s the contest started being transmitted on local television stations. This contest is today organised by the voluntary organisation L-Għanja tal-Poplu and is also supported by Arts Council Malta.
Camilleri is a common surname in Malta and, to a lesser extent, in Italy. The surname is believed to have originated in the 12th century and derives from the Latin term "camelarius".
Maltese Americans are Americans with Maltese ancestry.
Jarrod Sammut is a Maltese international rugby league footballer who plays as a stand-off or scrum-half for the Bradford Bulls in the RFL Championship.
General elections were held in Malta on 17 and 18 September 1976. The Malta Labour Party remained the largest party, winning 34 of the 65 seats.
Luqa St. Andrew's Football Club are a Maltese football club from the south-western town of Luqa in Malta. Founded in 1934, the club currently competing in the Maltese National Amateur League, becoming champions after winning both championship play-off matches. In seasons 2010–11 and 2016–2017 the team was promoted to the Second Division from the Maltese Third Division. The team is also known by the nickname "Reds".
The judiciary of Malta interprets and applies the laws of Malta, to ensure equal justice under law, and to provide a mechanism for dispute resolution. The legal system of Malta is based partially on English law and partly on Continental law, whilst also being subject to European Union law.
Jesmond Zerafa is a retired footballer and currently technical director at howetown cub Valletta. During his playing career, he played primarily as a striker.
Galea is a surname of Maltese origin. It is also common to parts of Spain and southern Italy. Notable people with the surname include:
The law of Malta incorporates continental law, common law and local traditions, such as Code de Rohan. A municipal code was enacted in 1784 and replaced in 1813. Maltese law has evolved over the centuries and reflected the rule of the context of the time. At present Malta has a mixed-system codification, influenced by Roman law, French Napoleonic Code, British Common Law, European Union law, international law, and customary law established through local customs
The 2014 European Parliament election in Malta elected Malta's delegation to the European Parliament from 2014 to 2019. This was the third such election held in Malta. The elections were held on Saturday, 24 May 2014.
The designers of Maltese stamps have been creating their works for the last 150 years. The most prolific designer of Maltese stamps was Emvin Cremona, who designed most of Malta's stamps from the late 1950s to the 1970s. Dates indicate the years stamps with the artist's design were used.
Mużika Mużika is the national song festival of Malta.
Jurgen Degabriele is a Maltese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Maltese Premier League side Hibernians and the Malta national football team.
Sliema Aquatic Sports Club is a waterpolo club from Sliema, Malta, playing in the Maltese Waterpolo Premier League. The club was founded in 1912 and is the most successful in Malta, with 32 championships and 27 Knock-out Cups.
↑ Barry York (April 1995). "How Many Maltese in Australia?". WIRT MALTA – Maltese Cultural Association, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 1 (10). Aboutmalta.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2009.
↑ Community Information Summary - Malta-born(PDF) (Report). Commonwealth of Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics for the Department of Home Affairs. 2018. Archived(PDF) from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
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