Possessing the right training is essential for a successful career, and the Australians were already practising this in the 1920s when they shipped a wooden bungalow to Malta to teach emigrants, used to building with limestone, the trade of timber construction.
One of these bungalows, thought to be the last remaining example of similar structures sent to all Commonwealth countries and unique for Malta, is in the process of being restored by Din l-Art Ħelwa, with an injection of funds from The Melita Foundation.
DLĦ council member Joseph Philip Farrugia, who has been appointed manager for the Australian Bungalow, recently gave The Melita Foundation representatives an update on the painstaking work involved in restoring this unique bungalow made of a form of softwood, with corrugated iron sheeting used for the roof.
The Australians had sent this building to Malta and other Commonwealth countries to help prospective migrants familiarise themselves with their future environment and learn new building skills. Being the only one remaining makes its significance to the Maltese/Australian shared history all the more unique. The Malta Foundation Chair, Tanya Sammut Bonnici said: “While today’s young people require digital skills, a century ago, knowledge of constructing timber homes was valuable for those Maltese who emigrated to Australia. The timeless wisdom of up-skilling and the pursuit of safeguarding our heritage seamlessly align with The Melita Foundation’s core
