Nixtieq nifrah lil Frank Scicluna fil-hrug tal-Maltese Directory & Information Booklet 1997 ghall-istat ta' South Australia. Fih wiehed isib taghrif informattiv dwar il-komunita Maltija F'ghamla ta' direttorju u encikolpedija fl-istess hin. Prosit tassew!

Laqtitni t-taqsima dwar I-emigranti bikrin fis-South Australia, fosthom certu Fabri Ii jissemma fir-rapport ta' DeCesare tat-28 ta' Gunju 1883 bl-isem Report upon the Suitability Qf the Britsh Colonies in Australia as afield for Maltese Migration. Dan Fabri kien bniedem ta' l-iskola, mill-Birgu, li kien jahdem bhala land surveyor izda Ii meta x-xoghol skarsa sab ruhu bil-guh u bla flus, tant Ii spicca jghix,f'manikomju. Decesare inzerta ghamel kuntatt mieghu u thabat ghalih ma' l-awtoritajiet ta' l'Awstraija u Malta.

Billi din 1-informazzjoni hija ta' interess lil bosta minnha, b'mod partikulari l-Maltin ta' Adelaide, ser ngib kelma kelma mir-Rapport originali dak li kiteb DeCesare biex ikollna stampa ftit aktar, cara fuq dan I-emigrant bikri. Niftakru dejjem Ii dan gara 115 sena ilu!

Decesare kiteb hekk:
In Adelaide, retired at the Destitute Asylum, I found a Maltese by the name of C Fabri, who says he was a perito agrimensore [kelma taljana li tfisser "a skilled land surveyor"], and that he went there in search of employment as land surveyor; that he travelled on foot several hundreds of miles inland; was employed for sometime by the Government as draughtsman but afterwards dismissed as they reduced the number of employees in the Survey Department, and that,, not having any means to live upon, he was obliged to pawn all his professional instruments and books and his clothes, so that he was reduced to a state of starvation; and from a sense of humanity, the Government lodged him for some time in that Asylum.

The Director of that establishment told me that according to the regulations he could not keep him any longer, and that he had written to the Chief Secretary.

The Under Colonial Secretary showed me a correspondence which had passed between the said Fabri and Sir William Robinson, the Governor, the result of which was that the Governor recommended that he should be kept there till they found some employment for him.

However, they say, that they have kept him already long enough and that they could not keep him any longer; and moreover, that they had offered him an employment at seven shillings a day, which he refused. I asked what that employment was; and when I was told that it was a manual one, for carrying earth in a wheel barrow, I remarked that it was not expected that a professional man would adapt himself to such work. In fact, when questioned by me, Fabri said that he would die of starvation rather than humiliate himself to that degree.

As the Government were not authorised to pay his passage to Malta and send him back to his country, and even if they were disposed to do that for him, serious objections might arise against their action, in as much as it would be a bad precedent, which might be cited on other occasions. I agreed with them to keep him at the Asylum till I arrive at Malta, report the case to the Government or the family of Fabri, who live at Vittoriosa, would send the necessary amount for paying his passage to Malta.

I beg therefore to submit this matter to the consideration of the Government in order that, if they think proper, the necessary steps may be taken as to enable him to return to Malta.

Dan kien kaz tragiku, ta' Malti mitluf f'art kbira minghajr risorsi biex ikampa. Interessanti hija n-nota miktuba minn ufficjal tal-gvern fuq il-covering letter ta' dan ir-Rapport. In-nota tghid hekk: I am enquiring about Fabri's case. But if that individual is not too proud to accept charity, I do not see why he should be too proud to labour at 7/- a day.

Din hija 1-informazzjoni kollha li sibt f'dan il-mument. Tkun haga tabilhaqq flokha Ii xihadd jaghmel ftit ricerka fl-arkivji ta' Adelaide u Malta biex il-komunita issir taf kif fuq dan l-emigrant tassew bikri mill-Birgu.

History of Maltese Migration to South Australia