Prof. Mario Buhagiar writes:
The memory of Michael Ellul, who passed away on March 3, deserves to be honoured and given deserved credit for his great contribution to Maltese cultural heritage in general and architectural history in particular.
He was one of the great stalwarts of a generation of scholarly pioneers, among them Joseph Cassar Pullicino and Dr Paul Cassar, whose studies paved the way forward to institutionalise Maltese History as an academic discipline.
His was a life dedicated to learning. To me he was a mentor and an inspiration and I consider myself fortunate to have had the privilege to collaborate with him for what now amounts to a great many years.
It is one of his great merits that while head of the Antiquities Section of the then Public Works Department he saved from destruction precious documents of the British Administration, which formed the nucleus from which stemmed the now soundly founded National Archives at Santo Spirito Hospital, Rabat.
One of my fondest recollections is the tenderly care and loving affection he lavished on them when the damp rotting files where brought to his office at Casa Leone, Santa Venera.
He was also the pioneer of scientific restoration technology of built monuments and sites following specialised formation in Rome. His most important achievement in this field was the restoration of the old Sacra Infermeria and its rehabilitation as the Malta Conference Centre. Regretfully the final stages of the works did not follow his plans.
When in the 1980s I introduced classes in History of Art as an academic discipline at the University of Malta, Michael was a pillar of help as a visiting lecturer in History of Architecture and later as resident examiner in MA theses with an architectural theme. He was generous to a fault in sharing his knowledge and unpublished research with students whom I addressed to him for his guidance and advice.
Farewell dear Michael and may you rest in peace. Your scholarship has enriched us and will live on as a source of scholarly inspiration.