Maltese Australian historian and researcher Mark Caruana speaks with Joe Axiaq about the first Maltese in Australia. The first Maltese to arrive in Australia were convicts, transported in the 1810s for deserting their British regiments when Malta was then a British colony. In South Australia, John Pace arrived in June 1790, although it is not clear if he was Maltese at all. The first free settler, Antonio Azzopardi, arrived in Melbourne in 1837 and became a successful businessman. Many attempts were made at organised mass migration throughout the 19th century, but it was only in 1883 that the first group of 70 labourers and nine stowaways arrived in Australia. - L-istoriku u riċerkaur tal-istorja tal-Maltin fl-Awstralja Mark Caruana jitkellem ma’ Joe Axiaq dwar l-ewwel Maltin fl-Awstralja. L-ewwel Maltin li waslu l-Awstralja kienu priġunieri trasportati kmieni fis-seklu dsatax talli abbandunaw ir-reġimenti Brittaniċi fiż-żmien li Malta kienet kolonja Brittanika. John Pace wasal f’South Australia, f’Ġunju tal-1790, għalkemm mhux ċert jekk fil-fatt kienx Malti. L-ewwel Malti li ssetilja minn jeddu kien Antonio Azzopardi, li wasal f’Melbourne fl-1837 u għamel suċċess kbir fin-negozju. Kien hemm ħafna attentati għal migrazzjoni tal-massa organizzata fis-seklu 19, imma kien fl-1883 li l-ewwel grupp ta’ 70 ħaddiem u disa’ Maltin oħra moħbija fuq vapur li waslu fl-Awstralja.