Dr Lawrence and Mrs Gonzi’s visit to Australia a few weeks ago served as a great boost to consolidate relations between Maltese living in Malta and those of us living in Australia. Wherever the Prime Minister went, he spoke highly about the achievements and the great contribution that people from such a small nation have made to this vast continent. Dr Gonzi paid tribute to the first generation Maltese for the way they overcame the initial trauma of separation from their families and their motherland and managed to succeed in all aspects of Australian society.

Dr Gonzi also commended the second generation Maltese, many of whom are presently holding prominent positions in many of Australia’s institutions and have made a name for themselves and for Malta – the country of their origin. Dr Gonzi seemed to have comprehended the way of life of the thousands of Maltese, Down Under, and the impact they have made in that country. He always seemed visibly proud and happy when talking about this subject in public. Reading Josanne Cassar’s article (TMID, 6 August) made me wonder what century this reporter was referring to and writing about. The “innumerable associations which make up the local Maltese community” do not give an accurate indication of the number of Maltese living in Melbourne, as most of the second and third generation Maltese do not belong to any of these societies that she seemed to have had problems counting. She was also surprised that “most shops in Melbourne close around 5.30pm or 6pm and they only open until 9pm on Thursdays and Fridays.” The trend in Australia today is that shops open 24/7 all year round.

Most of the Maltese in Australia have kept the old tradition of what and when they eat and how they spend their leisure time, with maybe one difference. People here use the “barby” as a quick way to cook meat, which here is quite inexpensive compared to other countries, and they don’t need special occasions to do so. The men normally do this chore, saving their wives the bother of cooking a cabbage to make minestra or a stick of celery to make some brodu. The rest of her article failed badly to give our brothers and sisters in Malta a clear and true indication of the way we live here and about our great passion for Malta and how proud we are to be Maltese.

Charles Joseph Belli

Melbourne