A newspaper article from the Record, Perth, of April 30, 1950, recording the arrival of 27 Maltese child migrants.

Barry Coldrey, who has written extensively on child migration to Australia, wrote the following on Maltese child migration:

“Child migration from Malta was a marginal feature of Maltese emigration in general. It was first mooted in the 1930s when the Catholic Religious Congregation of the Christian Brothers, through their regional higher superior in Western Australia, Brother P.A. Conlon, was negotiating with the Catholic Emigration Society (UK) regarding child migrants from Catholic institutions in the UK to the Brothers’ institutions in Western Australia for training and assimilation before their placement in employment. Some Maltese Catholic leaders in Australia were anxious for their institutional children to be included in the scheme.”

On February 23, 1950, an agreement was signed between the Australian Catholic Migration Committee and the Maltese government for the admission of children from Malta into Catholic institutions in Australia. They undertook to train the children to fit them for life in Australia. About 370 Maltese children, mostly from institutions like St Joseph’s Institute in Ħamrun and St Patrick’s in Sliema, emigrated to Australia between 1950 to 1965.

The parents or legal guardians of the Maltese children involved were required to sign a declaration before the children’s departure to Australia that they had no objection to releasing the children under the child migration scheme. This is, however, not the impression that has been given by some former child migrants in Australia in sworn testimony before Australian parliamentary commissions that, unfortunately, has not been critically examined.

Almost all critics have taken a hostile view of the Christian Brothers’ efforts in Australia, conveniently forgetting the many other success stories, including those of children who acquired large farms of their own or made successful careers in various professions, employment and vocations, including priesthood. One has to also keep in mind that in practice, the Maltese child migrant was a young lad preceding family members to Australia or with close relatives already living there.

Coldrey adds: “For Maltese young people, life in Australian institutions posed difficult adjustment problems... However, for most of the children, the experience prepared them for adjustment to Australian society, and offered them opportunities not currently available in Malta.”

A very serious accident happened on December 15, 1955. It illustrates the care with which children in these schools were treated. At about 7.15am on the South West Highway from Clontarf Boys School near Perth, a bus was travelling at normal speed. From inside the bus was coming the sound of happy singing by 53 boys from the school who were excited by the prospect of passing the festive season in the homes of volunteer private families.

The driver of the bus was Brother Patrick Doyle, a cherry Irish man who was proud of the brand new bus donated to the school by a local businessman from Perth with the school emblem and the words ‘Clontarf Boys’ prominently painted on both sides of the bus. As they approached a narrow bridge, Doyle slowed down to allow a tip-up truck to pass from the opposite direction.

For unknown reasons, the driver of the tip-up drove the truck very close to the school bus and in the process ripped open the entire side of the bus. The inside of the bus became a mangled mess with crushed seats, metal crazily jutting out in all directions, and blood everywhere. Doyle had the presence of mind to pull over on the side of the road and thus avoid further disaster.

Of the 53 young passengers, one was dead and 19 others maimed or seriously injured. Due to the height at which the truck’s edge ploughed through the side of the bus, most of the boys on that side had legs either severed or crushed.

The injured boys were put into cars, ambulances or other vehicles available on site and urgently transferred to the nearest hospitals. Doctors, nurses, aid workers and police rushed to the scene of the accident to provide first aid and other urgent necessities. Blood donors were soon queuing at hospitals to provide blood to the injured boys.

The Maltese boys injured were Anthony Bugeja, 13 from Msida, amputation of both legs; Alister Carr, 11 from St Julian’s, fracture of tibia, fibia, fractured right femur; Charles Gatt, 13 from St Patrick’s Institute, Sliema, fractured right tibia and fibia, amputation of left leg mid-calf; Joseph Bugeja, 15 from Qrendi, amputation of both legs; George Littleton, 12 from Paola, lacerated liver, scalp and right thigh; Anthony Grech, 11 from Birżebbuġa, fracture of right leg and Carmelo Vassallo, 13 from Mġarr, injuries to neck.

Little is known what happened afterwards to these boys but a trust fund was established by the Federal government of Australia to ensure that the victims got a handsome sum on attaining the age of 21.