As a Maltese academic living in Australia, I would like to thank TVM, more specifically Josephine and Harry Zammit Cordina for their continuous support in my academic work at Victoria University Melbourne. Over the years, they have been keeping the community informed about my academic achievements through the programme Waltzing Matilda. Recently, for example, they showed The Koala Bear Project (Parts 1 and 2) that has generated a great deal of interest among members of the Maltese community, both in Malta and Australia.

I developed this project in Australia last year and completed it in the Maltese Islands when I was there for five months as an academic. Through this project I wanted to raise awareness about the pychological trauma that has been generated through the migration experience. The literature usually looks at this trauma only from the perspective of those who left the country of origin. As an academic who specialises in mental health and cross-cultural studies I feel that this trauma also needs to be acknowledged from the perspective of the people that were left behind. Through Waltzing Matilda I was able to raise awareness about this issue among the Maltese community. This is the first step towards the healing process. Photos of The Koala Bear Project can be viewed on my website: http://www.malteseconnections.com

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Joe Montebello who has been responsible for the filming of the Waltzing Matilda programmes in Melbourne for many years. On behalf of the Maltese community, I would like to thank him and the team behind the production of this programme for their commitment and arduous work.