Maltese-Australian HistoriographyAuthor: Dr. Barry York, Europe-Australia Institute, garocon@pcug.org.au During the 1990's, Maltese-Australian publishing took a big step forward when, with an initial grant from the Government of Malta, the Australian National University subsidized the Maltese-Australian Studies Series. The Series was published through the Centre for Immigration & Multicultural Studies and edited by me. Sixteen titles were published between 1992 and 1996, including a popular oral-history-based book, 'Emmanuel Attard: from Gozo to Gallipoli and Australia'. Also during the 1990s was the publication, by Kallaya Publications in association with the Bank of Valletta, of the first regional study of Maltese settlement, Paul Calleja's 'Maltese of the western third: a social history and commentary on the people of Maltese origin in the State of Western Australia'. And there were also books by Terry Borg ("From Known to Unknown"), Maurice Cauchi ("Maltese Migrants in Australia" and two others), Nicholas D. Chircop ("Maltese Levantine Experience"), Br. Barry Coldrey ("Child Migration from Malta to Australia, 1930s to 1960s") and Lawrence Dimech's "The Ageing Maltese". The Maltese-Australian Series ceased publication at the Australian National University in 1996 but was revived in 1997, as the Maltese-Australian Studies New Series, under the auspices of Victoria University of Technology, Melbourne. VUT has published three instalments, including a second edition of a 'Guide to Maltese Migration Sources' and Raymond C. Xerri's directory of migrant shipping. The Guide to Maltese Migration Sources was compiled by me and is proof positive of the healthy condition of Maltese-Australian research. Contrary to the absurd claim made in one of Malta's daily newspapers, by an Australian correspondent, last year, there is a great deal of published material on the Maltese in Australia and on Maltese migration. The Guide found that in 1997 forty-two books and booklets about, or of direct relevance to, the Maltese in Australia were held at the National Library of Australia. (Today, the figure would be closer to 50.). The situation is basically a good one, even if there is a tendency to repeat the work of others. What is needed is original research designed to further enhance the understanding of the Maltese in Australia on the part of people and governments in both countries. But there is no point in simply reinventing the wheel. Of course, where practicable, projects in Australia should be undertaken with the support of the government of Malta; though experience has shown that that is not always necessary.
    
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