Aussie life in Valletta: community and Anzac

Malta might be the easiest place in Europe to feel at home as an Australian. English is an official language, they drive on the left, and nearly everyone seems to have a relative in Melbourne or Sydney.

The short version

Australia has deep Maltese roots: the 2021 Census counted 35,413 people living in Australia who were born in Malta [1].
Malta's own foreign ministry says Sydney and Melbourne hold Australia's largest Maltese populations, which is why it runs consulates in both cities [2].
Australian and New Zealand service personnel are buried at Pietà Military Cemetery, just outside Valletta. It holds the highest concentration of such burials on the islands [3].
Cricket is alive in Malta, with international matches played at Marsa [4][5]. For the AFL, you'll mostly be streaming.
The Australian High Commission in Ta' Xbiex posts news and community events on its social channels [6].

Who the Aussies in Valletta are

The Australian crowd in Malta isn't one group. It's three overlapping ones.

Group	Who they are	Where you'll meet them
Maltese-Australians	Children and grandchildren of migrants, some back on Maltese passports	Family feasts, village festas, citizenship queues
Returnees	Maltese-born people who spent decades in Australia and came home	Parish clubs, their kids' weddings, the local band club
New arrivals	Remote workers, iGaming and finance staff, students and retirees	Sliema and Gżira cafés, co-working spaces, sports clubs

The Maltese-Australian link is the big one. With 35,413 Malta-born people living in Australia at the 2021 Census [1], and many more with Maltese ancestry, you'll constantly hear "My uncle's in Werribee" or "My nanna lived in Parramatta." It makes small talk easy. Many of those families now hold dual citizenship, and Malta recognises dual nationality [7].

New arrivals usually come for work or lifestyle. If you're looking at that route, our moving to Valletta guide covers the permits.

What feels familiar, and what doesn't

The familiar bits arrive fast: English on every sign, left-hand traffic, a love of the beach and a healthy suspicion of anyone in a hurry. The differences take longer. Shops in smaller towns may close in the early afternoon, Sunday is still a family day, and the parish church sits at the centre of village life. Maltese is spoken at home by most locals, so picking up a few words (grazzi for thanks, bongu for good morning) earns real goodwill. And distances shrink. After a year in Malta, a 30-minute bus ride starts to feel like a road trip.

Anzac Day and the Malta connection

Malta's place in Anzac history is much bigger than most Aussies realise. During the First World War, the islands treated huge numbers of sick and wounded soldiers, including Australians from the Gallipoli campaign.

Pietà Military Cemetery

Pietà sits on the harbour just beyond Floriana, an easy walk from Valletta. The Commonwealth cemetery holds about 1,469 graves, most from the First World War, and Australian and New Zealand service personnel are buried there in greater concentration than anywhere else in Malta [3]. On a quiet morning, walking the rows of Australian headstones is a moving way to spend an hour.

Anzac Day services

Anzac Day is commemorated in Malta each year. Times and venues can change, so follow the Australian High Commission's Facebook or X accounts, which it uses for Australian news and community events in Malta [6]. Arrive early, bring your passport if security asks, and stay for a chat afterwards. It's one of the best days of the year to meet other Aussies.

Sport: cricket, footy and getting up at strange hours

Cricket

Cricket has a long history in Malta thanks to the British years. The Marsa Cricket Ground has existed for more than a century, and the Malta Cricket Association has organised the national team [5]. Marsa Sports Club has hosted men's and women's T20 internationals and the Valletta Cup [4]. Local leagues have included regional teams such as the Valletta Vikings and Sliema Riders [5]. If you can bowl a bit, ask around: clubs are often keen on new players.

Aussie rules

We couldn't find a regular Aussie rules competition in Malta to point you to, so plan on streaming. Malta runs on Central European Time, so a Saturday afternoon game at the MCG lands somewhere between dawn and breakfast in Malta, and night games land mid-morning. Not bad, really. Find a mate with a big screen, or a bar willing to switch the channel for a grand final.

Rugby and soccer

Soccer is Malta's big sport, and the national team plays at the National Stadium in Ta' Qali. Plenty of Maltese follow English and Italian clubs closely, so finding a pub showing the football is rarely hard. Rugby fans will find a smaller scene.

Tastes of home

You won't find a Bunnings snag, but you'll find plenty that feels familiar if you grew up in a Maltese-Australian household.

Pastizzi. The flaky ricotta or pea pastries that every Maltese nanna in Melbourne made. In Malta they're everywhere and cheap.
Ftira and hobża. Maltese bread, usually rubbed with tomato paste and piled with tuna, capers and olives. A beach lunch staple.
Rabbit stew (stuffat tal-fenek). The national dish, best on a Sunday in a village restaurant.
The care package. Vegemite, Tim Tams and Milo travel well. Pack them, or ask the next person flying in from home.

For food prices and the weekly shop, see our cost of living in Valletta guide.

How to meet other Aussies in Valletta

Join Cooee Malta. Our Facebook group for Australians in Malta is where people post meetups, flat leads, sport screenings and "anyone heading home with spare luggage space?" requests.
Go to Anzac Day. The single best day to meet the community.
Follow the High Commission. Its social channels post Australian events and updates [6].
Join a club. Cricket, hiking groups, volunteering and local sports clubs are easy entry points.
Say yes to the festa. Each summer village festas mean fireworks, band marches and church feasts. Your Maltese neighbours will happily drag you along.
Look up the family. If you're Maltese-Australian, relatives you've never met may be a bus ride away.

Staying connected to Australia

Consular help. The Australian High Commission is on Ta' Xbiex Terrace; in-person services are by appointment only, weekday mornings [6]. Its 24-hour line is +356 2133 8201 [7].
Health. Medicare's reciprocal agreement with Malta covers essential public care for six months after you arrive [8]. After that, you need local or private cover.
Voting. Enrol and vote from overseas; see our voting from overseas guide.
Citizenship. If your family is Maltese, you might qualify for Maltese citizenship and EU rights. Our Maltese citizenship by descent guide explains the forms [9].

Aussie life in Valletta: Maltese-Australians, Anzac graves and the breakfast grand final