The state of Victoria, or Melbourne, is home to almost 21,000 people who were born in Malta and hosts the biggest Maltese community away from the tiny island's shores.

Since mass migration really took hold in the 1950s and 1960s, migrants have always found support in one another.

And in an effort to find an elusive antidote for homesickness, they have set up a host of meeting places, clubs and associations to keep alive their beloved traditions - ranging from the Maltese Historical Association, which works tirelessly to educate as well as presenting bursaries to Maltese language students, to the Klabb Ghannejja Maltin, which Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi visited yesterday.

There is one organisation, however, that has made all this possible - the Maltese Community Council of Victoria - which has been run for the past 30 years, save a brief break, by the 65-year-old Gzira-born lawyer Victor Borg.

The MCCV, as it is known, serves as the umbrella organisation, coordinating the various community associations dotted across Melbourne.

Operating from its premises in Parkville - the land was donated by Maltese priests - since 1983, it helps Maltese deal with problems that tend to crop up from time to time.

"We have a private welfare section where people can go for assistance.

"Someone might have a very simple problem which they make a big deal out of, and they leave here happy. We follow up on progress and, if we can't handle the issue, we connect them with other organisations," Dr Borg says.

It's role, today, however, is shifting almost inevitably to the needs of its elderly residents.

"We coordinate a professional welfare programme that is funded by the federal and state government, and bring the aged to the centre and other premises that we have in Sunshine where we give them a day's entertainment, exercise and food.

"We also have a home visitation scheme where members of the Maltese community volunteer to visit old people in their home. If there are any problems, they alert us and we see what we can do."

Many of the separate organisations have today set up groups for senior citizens that meet at least once a week to entertain them and take care of their general welfare.

"The number of senior citizens has increased dramatically. And they don't have the same opportunities they have in Malta, where there are extensive family networks.

"Sometimes old people find out that they're really on their own and some families live so far apart from one another that they may as well be overseas as far as the old person is concerned."

However, the MCCV is working with the younger generation too. Which is why Dr Borg says he is pleased the Prime Minister announced that the government would be setting up a special unit in Malta to strengthen the linguistic and cultural link with emigrants.

"Unless we have this support, we're going to find it very, very difficult to encourage the young to pick up the Maltese language.

"And I think language for the Maltese is as important as religion when it comes to culture. The two go hand in hand." Yet, Dr Borg is encouraged by a growing trend for new generations of Maltese-Australians to identify with their parents' country of birth.

"It's getting stronger and stronger. Last year, the MCCV started running visits by students who have just graduated from university because it felt that you really can't get across the culture unless you experience it for yourself.

"While you can show people videos in Australia, it doesn't have the same impact. And we've found that when people visit - whether it's with an MCCV programme or with their parents - they return recharged with a new enthusiasm. And that's fantastic for the community."

The younger generation are also changing the reputation of the traditional migrant, which was predominantly poor and working class, and these days they are making great strides forward in Australia as a whole.

"We've come away from the old days when people came to settle and the first thing they did was get their kids into employment so they could pay off the house.

"Today, parents are supporting their children to get the highest qualifications possible and they join with us in deriving tremendous satisfaction seeing that as a community we're really making an impact in the Australian community.

"There isn't any aspect or any profession where Maltese are not represented these days in Australian community.

"It's amazing, sometimes you find executive officers in big companies, or doctors, or engineers - it's so pleasing to see a Maltese surname and we connect with them and invite them across".

All this makes Dr Borg a busy man, particularly as he runs a successful legal practice at the same time.

"It's quite taxing. But we all find the time and one gets a lot of satisfaction."

As MCCV president, Dr Borg yesterday evening hosted a reception for Dr Gonzi and the Prime Minister's wife, Kate, where he thanked him for making the effort to visit the Maltese communities in Australia.

Dr Gonzi had earlier met with Bishop Joseph Grech and Maltese priests. One of them, 86-year-old Fr Victor Bonello, a Franciscan friar from Xaghra, arrived in Australia over half a century ago. He built an underground church at Coober Peddy to protect parishioners from the heat, and was responsible for the construction of two colleges - one at Kellyville and the other in Dingley - before moving to Melbourne in 1983.

In a little twist of irony, Fr Bonello was sent to Australia by the Prime Minister's great uncle, Archbishop Michael Gonzi, after a request was made for priests.

Dr Gonzi will spend another day in Melbourne today before leaving for Canberra tomorrow for a two-day visit that will include a meeting with Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

He returns to Malta on August 13.