The Voice of the Maltese (driven by the voice of its readers ) Issue 78 oonnlliinnee mmaaggaazziinnee July 8, 2014 One of the most interesting mon - uments in the Maltese capital, Valletta, is the Siege Bell Memo - rial, erected in 1992 to commem - orate the 50th anniversary of the award of the George Cross to Malta and to honour over 7000 service personnel and civilians who gave their lives during the siege of Malta 1940-43. The monument, which was de - signed by Michael Sandle, a pro - lific and important sculptor worldwide and assembled on the initiative of the George Cross Is - land Association is at the Grand Harbour and Fort Ricasoli. Pic - ture shows the monument close to the Lower Barracca Gardens. Inset below is the monument viewed from sea level. tthhee SSi ieeggee BBeellll MMee mmoorriiaall iin V n Vaalllleettttaa 2 The Voice of the Maltese Tuesday July 8, 2014 Malta and Australia 5500tthh aannnniivveerrssaarryy ooff ddiipplloommaattiicc rreellaattiioonnsshhiipp r. Andrew Rohan, the State Member for Smithfield stood ANDREW BAIJAN ROHAN MP was born in Mup in the NSW Parliament to Iraq and completed studies in petroleum geol - speak not just about the commemoration ogy at the University of Baghdad, graduating of the 50th Anniversary of the diplomatic with a Bachelor of Science (Geology) in 1970 relationship between Malta and Australia and a Master of Science (Petroleum Geology) but as well, about the Maltese commu - in 1975. nity in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. Migrating to Australia in 1979,he initially worked as a petroleum geologist for Robertson Mr. Andrew Rohan said that it is indeed Research before establishing his own printing significant that he speaks in commemo - business in 1995. He was elected as a Council - ration of the fiftieth anniversary of the lor to Fairfield City Council in 2008. diplomatic relationship between Malta At the 2011 state election Mr. Rohan was and Australia. In 1964 Malta became an elected to the normally safe Labour seat with a independent nation and in 1979 became swing of 20.5 per cent and won the seat with a republic but maintained its membership 54.8 per cent of the vote on a two-party pre - to the Commonwealth of Nations. ferred basis. Since the seat was first created in Relations between our two countries 1988, Mr. Rohan's win was the first time the precede this date. In 1883, 131 years seat has been held by the Liberals ago, organised emigration from Malta to Australia began. Maltese-Australian con - tese Living Abroad. Two councillors are Australia as Governor. nections are indeed multifaceted and from my electorate: Lawrence Dimech Later, Lord Gerald Strickland became deeply ingrained in the history of the two from Greystanes and Gaetano Pace from Prime Minister of Malta from 1927 to nations. Blacktown. 1932. The Strickland Foundation is still It is fitting to note that the first High Amendments to the Maltese Citizenship the owner of The Times of Malta , the Commissioner for Australia in Malta was Act 2007 extended the qualifications of largest selling newspaper on the island of Sir Hubert Opperman, a world-famous dual citizenship to second-generation Malta. cyclist and a former Liberal Member of children and beyond - those born outside The Maltese community in Western Parliament for Geelong (Victoria). Malta - and removed the distinction be - Sydney is very active and well organ - Mr. Rohan continued to say that from tween parental and maternal lineage. ised. Like other communities that were those early years’ relations between Aus - Malta and Australia also have social se - established here after World War II, the tralia and Malta have gone from strength curity and health agreements. Maltese community is now ageing fast as to strength. Political relations between Thousands of Maltese-Australians have migration from Malta has virtually our two countries are excellent and have benefited from these changes, and this stopped. Special needs relating to old age been made easier by the fact that we has further strengthened the people-to- now confront Maltese immigrants, simi - share a common heritage and vision. people bond between the two countries. lar to those experienced with their initial Apart from our shared values, the bonds In February 2007, the Australian Senate settlement. between Australia and Malta also are approved amendments to the Australian The Maltese have very large communi - rooted in history. Citizenship Act leading to some 2,000 ties in the cities of Blacktown, Holroyd, Malta and Australia fought side by side Maltese being re-eligible for Australian Penrith and Fairfield. The largest Mal - in both World Wars and, true to its mis - citizenship. tese meeting place is La Valette Centre at sion as the nurse of the Mediterranean; Prior to that, in 2004, Malta became a Blacktown. Then there is the Maltese Malta gave shelter and provided treat - full member of the European Union. This Resource Centre at Mays Hill and the ment to the Anzacs injured during the provides the ideal framework for re - Hamrun Centre at Marsden Park. Gallipoli campaign. Australian service gional cooperation in that the European The Horsley Park Good Friday proces - members also were involved in defend - Union and Australia share common inter - sion is a yearly spectacle with statues ing Malta during World War II. ests in the wider geopolitical arena. and people dressed in biblical costumes. Malta now has an Anzac monument at Malta again will host the Common - The Maltese Annual Festa of Our Lady the Argotti Gardens, Floriana, which was wealth Heads of Government Meeting of Victories at Greystanes also is a major completed last year as an initiative of (CHOGM) in 2015. Mr. Rohan said that event that attracts large crowds. Maltese-Australians living in Malta, who he knows that the Maltese community is Malta's loss became Australia's gain. were ably backed by financial assistance keen to see Prime Minister Tony Abbott Maltese people have integrated well into from the Maltese community in Aus - follow in the footsteps of former Prime the Australia community and Mr. Rohan tralia. Minister John Howard, who attended the concluded by saying he is proud to have The flow of Maltese migrants after CHOGM conference in Malta in 2005. so many of them living in his electorate World War II continued and as many as What is perhaps unique in relations be - of Smithfield in NSW. 50,000 people left the shores of Malta to tween Malta and Australia, and particu - The Voice of the Maltese notices and build a new life Down Under. Like the larly our State of New South Wales, is appreciates the continuous lobbying by Australian Government, the Maltese that between 1909 and 1917 then Sir our community leaders to promote the Government looks after its people living Gerald Strickland, a Maltese-born, repre - name of Malta in this country wherever abroad. In 2012 it established, by an Act sented the three Australian States of New possible resulting in this excellent speech of Parliament, the Council for the Mal - ISouth Wales, Tasmania and Western in the NSW Parliament. Tuesday July 8, 2014 The Voice of the Maltese 3 Il-Maltese Resource Centre minn quddiem minn Lawrence Dimech ill-pa©ni ta’ dan l- li sar tant popolari mal- MMaltin imxerda mad-dinja kollha, naqraw kemm il-Maltin fl-Aw - stralja g˙adhom attivi u ankroanti- mlinaet- tmraadgiaz - zjonijiet ziun e l-kultura Maltija li ©abu mXXag˙’h’oqqm eeleddjn idiassn iirril-p affjjiiΩi NNtant SSWW imbieg˙ed, l-Awstralja. Mhux veru li bog˙od mill-g˙ajn bog˙od mill-qalb, anzi l-kuntrarju, g˙ax aktar ma titbieg˙ed minn Mggal˙t˙a, aart tlwllell-i-dnkka, soopeçmmjalmeuunt fnnuq ibia ttΩiaa``Il - KMMunsilla atal-llKttomiiujjniaata` Maltija fi NSW dawk li mhumiex membri tal-Kunsill. permanenti, aktar tikber fik l-im˙abba lejn imexxi l-iskola tal-Malti li g˙andha di - Il-Kunsill wasal ukoll biex i˙abbar esten - dak kollu li ˙allejt warajk. versi klassijiet fis-subborgi ta’ Horsley sjoni ta’ dan is-servizz biex flimkien ma’ Fl-Awstralja g˙andna ˙afna g˙aqdiet tal- Park, Seven Hills u Schofields. Dawn il- jikber is-servizz Maltin. Dawn jinkludu g˙aqdiet reli©juzi, klassijiet huma ssussidjati finazjarjament ta’ . kulturali, soçjali u sportivi. L-attivita` ta’ mill-fondi tal-Kunsill. G˙andu wkoll ferm interessanti: dawn ma tieqaf qatt u ma jg˙addix tmiem Hemm g˙alliema ikkwalifikati li jg˙al- il-©img˙a li ma jkollnix xi attivita`; anzi lmu l-ilsien Malti u anke l-kultura Maltija. coIlm-Kmuunnsiitlyl jdipepverolovpam mean t jid˙olx fil-g˙alqa llum, anke matul il-gimg˙a, isiru attivita - U˙ud mill-istudenti jispiççaw ukoll jinter - tal-ign˙faoqrdmiaet ifoenjn & g ˙raenfedrhroaml x’jaqsmu l-at - jiet, l-aktar u l-aktar fost l-anzjani li ma essaw ruhom fil-komunita` Maltija, l-aktar tivitajiet tag˙homwe, bimsimte a jorganizza Ωew© g˙adhomx fil-qasam tax-xog˙ol. fejn jid˙lu g˙aqdiet ta Ω-Ω g˙a Ωag˙. awtwtivwit.amjiaeltt sepseçcjoamli,m duikn ti aty’ cJouumn cl-iAlowfnsstwralja Fejn ng˙ix jien, fl-in˙awi tal-belt ta’ Syd - Il-Kunsill g˙andu wkoll programm tar- fejn ji©u onorati i-Maltin li jirçievu unuri ney (Stat NSW) imbag˙ad, g˙andna dak li radju (2GLF fm 89.3) kull nhar ta’ Óadd nazzjonali mill-Gvern Awstraljan, u l- hawn insejj˙ulu l- fejn jit˙abbru l-attivitajiet tal-g˙aqdiet u komemorazzjoni tas- 1919 li li hu b˙al g˙aqda-um - a˙barijiet o˙ra ta’ interess. Jipprovdi wkoll hija wa˙da mill-˙ames festi nazzjonali, ta’ brella li tigbor fiha madwar 16-il g˙aqda servizz ta’ biex jie˙u ˙sieb meta l-Maltin irvellaw kontra l-Ingli Ωi u Maltija.