There are about 200,000 Maltese-born or Maltese-descended people living in Australia. That’s about half of Malta’s population, spread out over the land down under.

With so many Maltese-Australians around it may come as no surprise that a museum dedicated to Maltese history and tradition will be officially opening in Morwell, a town in Victoria, Australia, in a couple of months. 

The long overdue Maltese Exhibition and Museum Centre will be celebrating everything that makes Malta the glorious nation that it is, and will also be useful in teaching second or third generation Maltese all about the country that their ancestors came from. 

It is situated in Latrobe Valley, which is about two hours away from Melbourne.

Best of all, it will be opened at the Latrobe Valley Maltese Festa, the annual festa dedicated to all things Maltese.

Expect to see everything from the the instantly recognisable luzzi to interesting historical objects to traditional clothes to Malta’s incredible cuisine – all the best stuff, pretty much. 

A local Australian channel spoke to two Maltese men who had moved to Australia years ago. Mario Sammut and Frank Bezzina, both residents of Victoria, said that they were worried that the Maltese community in Australia was losing their homeland’s culture. 

Mario told the news channel that most Maltese people bring something with them when they come from Malta, to keep in their families while they create a new life in Malta and to remind them where they came from.

While saying he was fearful of the Maltese community centre “disintegrating” in Malta, he said that there was a “new vibration” that gave him hope that the Maltese culture in Australia would remain strong.

Newly energised and working hard to get everything ready, they now look forward to the Latrobe Valley Maltese Festa which will be held in February, and to the unveiling of the Australia’s first Maltese museum, during the festa. 

Tag a friend in Australia who needs to visit this museum.

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Johnathan Cilia

Johnathan is an award-winning Maltese journalist interested in social justice, politics, minority issues, music and food. Follow him at @supreofficialmt on Instagram, and send him news, food and music stories at [email protected]