A wave of excitement engulfs the Maltese community in Australia each time prominent Maltese decide to cross the seas to be among us. It was, therefore, no wonder that President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca’s recent visit was not only a huge success but a reminder of how popular is the ninth President of the Republic.
Having being invited by the Flinders University of South Australia to deliver a keynote speech at the International Student Well-being and Prevention of Violence conference, the President, although on a private visit, also travelled to Western Australia, Victoria, and NSW.
As a veteran journalist, I have happy memories as I was involved in all visits from Malta by the previous four presidents.
Agatha Barbara was the first in 1986, also the first female president to make the long journey Down Under.
Maltese migrants had to wait seven years for another similar visit, this time by another former minister, Ċensu Tabone. As a prime minister and leader of the Opposition, Eddie Fenech Adami came over several times but, as the president, he visited Australia for the first and last time in 2009.
George Abela visited Australia in 2011. Therefore, from 1974 four presidents had not made the long journey to this continent. They were Anthony Mamo, Anton Buttigieg, Ugo Mifsud Bonnici and Guido de Marco (who had visited Australia as a Cabinet minister).
The Maltese have one of the fastest ageing communities of any ethnic group
Every such visit, whether by the President, Prime Minister or a minister, provides the very active Maltese communities in Australia with an opportunity to showcase what they have achieved and how they established social, education and sporting centres actively supported by the Australian authorities in tune with integration policies of multicultural Australia.
As a veteran activist, I also notice that such important visits by VIPs attract the ‘sleeping section’ of our community as they awake from their slumber to make their presence felt. Not such a bad thing. Most times, however, this tends to give a false impression to the visitors that the Maltese community needs very little assistance as we are fully supported by the Maltese professional, business and generous benefactors eager to assist. This is not the reality.
The Maltese have one of the fastest ageing communities of any ethnic group. It was indeed evident in all states by those meeting and greeting the President recently. The absolute majority were older Maltese-Australians, remnants of the exodus of the 1950s.
And here is the problem. The immediate need is the well-being of the aged, the lonely and the isolated, those living in homes for the elderly or hostels. The duty of care remains with the Australian government but, as a caring Catholic community, we must pitch in to ensure that our people get the correct language and culturally-appropriate services.
The established Maltese associations divert most of their limited resources to assist with the pressing and complex needs of an ageing community but the whole community must contribute, including the young and the business sector.
The statistics tell us that we have more second generation Maltese. Let us keep inviting them to visit our shores, to speak and promote our language and traditions and, indeed, to remind them that Maltese citizenship is not just a passport to the European Union.
When it comes to the care of the elderly, we must have a holistic approach. We cannot afford to divide the community – youths on one side and the elderly on the other. We need to face the future together as a united community.
There should be continuity and better understanding between generations.
Lawrence Dimech is co-editor of the magazine The Voice of the Maltese in Australia.