Rose's story begins in the throes of World War 2, in one of the darkest moments in Maltese history, as the island was laid siege by the axis powers and be the most bombed territory in all of the war.
Rose came from a big family, which reflected the human cost to the population, having their house destroyed and family members killed. Rose was born after the Siege of Malta was lifted, but life was difficult in the post-war period and many Maltese would seek to emigrate.
Like tens of thousands of others, Rose's family would migrate to Australia in the 1950s. She grew up in Melbourne in a big family. Melbourne was not the multicultural melting pot it is today, and Rose recalls the family being targets of some unwelcoming insults, but her memories of growing were mostly positive ones.
It was many years later that she moved with her then husband to Launceston, where she still resides today. Although she has lived in Australia along time now, and Tasmania is for her the best place in the world, she still cherishes parts of her Maltese heritage such as the language, the food and some of them unspoken values from her mother such as caring for others and making no one goes without.
Today there are around 40,000 Maltese-born living in Australia, a big number for such a small islands nation, but which demonstrates the special historical connection between Malta and Australia.
