Western Australia pays tribute to Maltese child migrants

A monument, dedicated to child migrants, was unveiled in Fremantle by Sheila McHale, Western Australian State Minister for Community Development.

The monument features two statues showing a 12-year-old- boy and a 10-year-old-girl with expressions showing "awe and wonder". It cost $A45,000 and the Federal and WA state governments shared the expenses.

The chairman of the Child Migrants of Malta (C-MOM), David Plowman, who had a significant input into the nature of the monument, was one of the key speakers at the opening.

C-MOM was formed on the initiative of the Maltese Professional and Business Association of Western Australia. Paul Psaila-Savona is its deputy chairman and the Chief Justice of Western Australia, David Malcolm, is its patron.

A notable feature of the memorial is a separate plaque recognising the Maltese component of the child migrant group.

C-MOM's organising committee was convinced that the nature of the Maltese child migration scheme and the experiences of the Maltese as Mediterranean, non-English speaking children made the Maltese unique. It successfully lobbied the Department of Community Development, the body responsible for the project, to have a separate plaque included in the monument to recognise the Maltese. C-MOM contended that one general plaque would result in the loss of identity for the Maltese.

The Maltese former child migrants were previously a forgotten item in the child migration debate. Church and government enquiries into the treatment of the child migrants would invariably focus almost entirely on the British and the Irish. Mention of the Maltese frequently came as an afterthought.

Prof. Plowman, himself a former Maltese child migrant, explained the significance of having two separate plaques: "One important reason for the differentiation is to be faithful to the history that this monument represents. The different plaques bear witness to the fact that there was not one encompassing scheme involving child migrants. Rather, there were two distinct schemes... Catholic child migration from Britain commenced in 1938, was halted in 1939 because of war and resumed in 1947."

"As early as 1938, attempts were made to include child migrants from Malta in the scheme. A reading of official correspondence at this time makes it clear that the Maltese were rejected on racial grounds. It was not until 1950, when it became clear that Australia could not fulfill its post-war migration objectives from Britain, that Maltese migration in general, and Maltese child migration in particular, were approved by the Australian government," Prof Plowman added.

"As a result, a separate and distinct agreement was established with the Maltese government and the Catholic Church in Malta. The two plaques symbolise the different agreements."

Child migration ended many years ago. Its effects, however, continue, Prof. Plowman insisted.

This monument, and other undertakings by a number of governments in recent years, show recognition of the need to bring a closure to many of the issues affecting former child migrants.

"This brings me to the second reason why the child migrants of Malta have been keen to establish their own identity. It is pleasing to note that host countries such as Australia and Canada, and home countries such as the United Kingdom and Ireland, have sought to bring about some closure to issues confronting some former child migrants. In the case of the Malta, this has not been the case," he said.

Prof. Plowman was in Malta earlier this year canvassing a solution to the lingering issue but "despite a number of written submissions and in-person meetings with Maltese government and Church authorities, to date there have been bland promises rather than any tangible outcomes.

"Former child migrants from Malta are determined to persevere in their efforts, and, if necessary, adopt more radical approaches to achieving their modest aims," he warned.

"There is a need for Malta to confront its past and to bring closure for those still affected by child migration. It is in such a context that we recognise the importance of this monument to former child migrants from wherever they came."