Maltese culture 'will not die' with first generation migrants

The jovial tone of Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi's visit to Australia was suspended for around an hour yesterday morning during a wreath laying ceremony at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne.

The tranquillity of the surrounding greenery was disturbed only by the Victorian Police Band as Dr Gonzi arrived with his small delegation after touring the impressive, though daunting, monument that stands in an elevated position to honour the men and women from the state of Victoria who have served in war and peace.

Corridors reminiscent of war shelters, a wall displaying 4,000 medals, as well as still and moving images very much make the shrine a living testament in keeping with its motto - Lest we forget.

When Dr Gonzi emerged onto the forecourt, he laid a wreath at the cenotaph accompanied by a sombre and solitary bagpipe tune.

From there the Prime Minister walked the short distance to Malta's own Shelter of Peace - also set in the park that sits side by side which the bustling metropolis of Melbourne - where he was greeted by the president of the Maltese Australian Association, Benedict Soler.

In a brief address, Dr Gonzi said: "Our presence here is a statement of intent. It's a recognition of the sacrifices made by past generations for generations of the future... but those who lost their lives wanted us to look forward to the future and therefore a monument like this is a sign of our commitment to work towards peace".

With the number of first generation Maltese diminishing - the population fell from 56,000 around 10 years ago to around 43,000 today - there is concern that in the not too distant future traditions which reflect Maltese identity, like commemorating Operation Pedestal each year, will soon be a thing of the past in Australia.

But Maurice Cauchi, an author of several publications on Maltese migration, believes there is reason to be hopeful: "The majority of first generation migrants will be dead in 20 years' time. However, this doesn't mean that Maltese culture will die with them. The language may no longer be spoken, since it largely depends on the first generation, but the culture can carry on. In a recent study we carried out on the second generation, the majority said they had visited Malta - often more than once - and all of them have a certain attachment to it and they want this connection to continue. If we manage to keep the culture going at least, it will be an important thing for us".

And, Prof. Cauchi points out, the first generation produced a lot of children and grandchildren. Although there are no accurate statistics, he estimates that there are over 300,000 people with Maltese blood in Australia alone.

Prof. Cauchi has also gone to some lengths to highlight the progress made by his countrymen, particularly in his latest book Maltese Achievers in Australia, which he presented to the Prime Minister on Sunday evening.

"Many of us in Australia are not aware of their achievements, let alone the people living in Malta. And when you look at the contribution Maltese in Australia have made in different areas - sport, literature, science, medicine - you'll see that in many cases they've got further than many people in Malta."

Himself something of an achiever - Prof. Cauchi is a highly respected pathologist and still lectures despite being retired - he is now moving on to another project: Compiling a Who's Who of Maltese in Australia.

"Maltese Achievers aimed to offer an account of contributions made by a number of people in designated areas, but it didn't cover everyone, which is why it's necessary to produce a Who's Who, and I appeal to anyone who thinks they should be in it to contact me."

Last night the Prime Minister visited more flag waving, national anthem singing, and welcoming residents in the pretty coastal town Hobsons Bay area of Melbourne.