The ‘first’ Maltese ‘independent emigrant’ to Australia

Azzopardi was born in Żejtun, Malta, the son of Angelo Azzopardi, a merchant, and Euphemia Cachia, a housewife. He was 35 years old when he was prompted to leave his motherland and settle down as an 'independent emigrant' in Australia in 1839. He crossed over to Victoria on board he Mary Hay. He was motivated to do so after the Maltese Government Gazette reported in the early 1830s on various plans to settle in the Australasian Colonies. Antonio came to know of such opportunities because he was one of many Maltese individuals very close in their daily working relations with the British garrison in Malta through whom the reports had filtered on the island. Antonio came to be considered as the first Maltese 'free settler' in Australia and one of the early colonists of Victoria, Australia.

Azzopardi shortly after his arrival in Down Under became chief officer on a series of ships trading between Port Philip, Sydney and New Zealand. He was a seaman for a number of years. However, he soon became engineer on the streamer ‘Aphrasia’, the only vessel running between Melbourne and Geelong.

Antonio Azzopardi retired from seafaring at the age of fourty-two to join the mail service. His subcontract for the Geelong mail was disrupted, like most businesses, by the gold rushes of the 1850s. Antonio was none other than the individual who carried the first gold transported from Ballarat to Melbourne in 1851. He also organised the first mail service from Geelong to Melbourne. Indeed, he worked as a mail contractor ut then he was a canvasser for the Melbourne Herald. Later on, he invested in printing by buying a press and R.M.Abbot's printing works near the Herald's job-printing office, and become a printer together with his children Angelo and Valletta.

Azzopardi did make several trips to Europe and he had his children educated in Europe although it was never known for certain whether he returned or not to Malta. He was held in high esteem in Port Philip as was evidenced by his early membership of the Old Colonists’ Association, and by a tribute written by one of his employees, Mr Work.

Antonio Azzopardi married the Margaret Hannah Sandeman at the Collins Street Melbourne Independent Congregational Church on 23 October 1845. She was from Perth, Perthshire, Scotland. She was born in 1818 and died short of 100 years in 1912. They had three children, Angelo James Azopardi, Claudina Sandeman Azzopardi and Valletta Sandeman Azzopardi, all of them spoke excellent vernacular Scottish and the first was a wood engraver, watercolourist and footballer and together with the second continued into the printing and publishing trade by taking after father Antonio.

Antonio died at his residence 5, Erin Street, North Richmond, Victoria. He died in a large house which later on was modernised and used as consulting rooms by diverse specialists. Antonio was included in the photographic montage that was published by Thomas Foster Chuck in 1872 entitled 'The Explorers and Early Colonists of Victoria'. He was numbered 84 in the montage and was listed as 'A.Azzopardi'. Antonio Azzopardi had a number of notable descendants who included his own son Angelo (1846-1896).

This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.