Scheduling the past

Mepa schedules Australian Bungalow, Luqa

The Australian bungalow was brought to Malta in 1920s as part of a scheme aimed at assisting the training of "potential migrants wishing to work in Australia in the techniques and methods used in building and construction". It was originally located in the Migrants Training Centre in the Bugeja Technical Institute in Hamrun but was relocated to the Government Experimental Farm in Ghammieri in 1930, where it remains to date. This pre-fabricated building used to be built and pulled down in order for trainees of different courses to learn how to construct such a building by using the same materials.

The bungalow is over 70 years old and although has had several modifications carried out to it, it is still largely authentic and is still used as a classroom by the Agricultural and Rural Development Division Department in which students are taught biology and farming at secondary school level. This structure is of architectural significance for Malta because it is built entirely of timber and its morphology is unique. It is also of historic importance since it facilitated Maltese migrants to seek better prospects in Australia.