Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to pay tribute to the considerable Maltese community in my electorate of Greenway. I want to specifically mention a few events: firstly, the 50th anniversary of the Maltese Herald newspaper; and the 92nd anniversary of the Maltese uprising. Greenway has a long and valuable history of Maltese settlement, from the market gardens in the north, which are now being built out into houses as we speak, and Pendle Hill in the south, which for many years was—and still is in some areas—known as Little Malta.

On 30 July I attended the 50th anniversary of the Maltese Herald newspaper in Blacktown. Since its inception, the Maltese Herald has made an enormous contribution to the success of Australian multiculturalism by promoting Maltese culture and, most importantly, providing a voice for Maltese Australians. In so doing, it continues to encourage participation in the life of our community and strengthens the very deep and special ties that bind our two countries. I congratulate the newspaper’s editor, Mr Lino Vella AM, for his longstanding and continued commitment to the Maltese Herald. Mr Vella has been the newspaper’s editor since 1971 and was recognised for his service to the Maltese community in 1999 by being made a Member of the Order of Australia. It was a very appropriate tribute dinner with hundreds in attendance to honour his very fine contribution.

I would also like to mention a very special anniversary, the 92nd anniversary of the Maltese uprising, on 7 June of this year. It is a very important day in the Maltese calendar, and I was privileged to attend those commemoration activities in Pendle Hill. The Maltese uprising signalled the end of the British Empire’s hold on the small island of Malta and the birth of a nation. During this violent uprising, four Maltese citizens were shot dead by British troops. The victims included Giuseppe Bajada, Emmanuele Attard, Lorenzo Dyer and Carmelo Abela. The 1919 riots impelled the country to establish the first responsible government in Malta in 1921, the first time Maltese citizens could actually elect Maltese members of parliament.

Greenway, as I have said in this place many times, is an excellent example of the multicultural fabric of Australia and is something that I am extremely grateful for. There are some 4,640-strong Maltese community members in the electorate, which continues to grow—and I am sure we will see that in the latest census results. A big part of this multicultural landscape are the many Maltese friends who are great contributors to our local community. The Maltese community in Australia is a proud and passionate people, and they will tell you that themselves. They have enriched the Australian cultural landscape with their customs and beliefs and our society is strengthened by their contribution.

I also acknowledge the work of an individual, Fred Fenech OAM, who is the President of the Maltese Community Council of New South Wales, and his tireless efforts in a range of areas including settlement services, welfare, aged care, education, the teaching of the Maltese language, advocacy, business networking, entertainment, sport and recreation and, above all, youth. Over the years the council has taken the initiative in many issues affecting the wellbeing of the Maltese community in Australia, including dual citizenship for migrants, for children of migrants and more recently for grandchildren of migrants. The campaign for dual citizenship was started by a call to all members of the Maltese parliament in 1974. Various other approaches and media campaigns followed until the grant to migrants in 1989, to children of migrants in 2000, and to all applicants of unbroken Maltese descent only in 2007.

I pay tribute to the special and lasting contribution of Maltese Australians to our nation’s story and particularly the local story in Greenway. The links between Malta and Australia are almost as old as Australian settlement itself, beginning with the first Maltese convict arrivals in 1810. Around 60,000 Maltese settled in Australia during the two decades following World War II, and others followed in subsequent years. All have made an exceptional contribution to Australia through their hard work and faith in the future of their new nation. I feel very strongly about multiculturalism and the role it plays in our society and the diverse range of cultures that contribute to the vibrant nature of our own lives. Without the Maltese community in Australia I am sure we would lose a very important aspect of our multicultural identity.

In conclusion, I thank the Maltese community for their ongoing contribution to the local community in Greenway, reaffirm my commitment to and support for multiculturalism in their country and its ongoing contribution from the Maltese community themselves.