VIVA SAN PIETRU





BIRZEBBUGA PEOPLE

This photo was taken by reporter of The Times of Malta on Monday 10th Sept. 1951. The day I left Birzebbuga for Melbourne Australia on the English liner SS Asturias.

Five men from Birzebbuga migrated to Australia on that day.

1. Myself. William J. Coxhead. - Melbourne

2. My brother Johnny Coxhead who played football with St Peters of Birzebbuga 1953, 3rd Div Champions. Migrated to Aust 1954.

3. My father. William N. Coxhead. He was in charge of the Power Station at R.N. base Kalafrana (Passed away 1953. RIP)

4. Joseph / Zeppi Cutajar of Birzebbuga, nickname ' ta - Fidiel '. Migrated to Melbourne but returned to Malta a few years later. (RIP)

5. Frankie Borg Falzon of Birzebbuga. Also played football with St Peters of Birzebbuga 1953, 3rd Div Champions. (RIP)

6. Tony Camilleri of St Georges Bay / Birzebbuga. Migrated to Melbourne. Lived and passed away in NSW Australia.(RIP)

7. Tony Camilleri's friend from Birzebbuga.

8. Mikiel Farrugia of Birzebbuga. Migrated to Melbourne. Passed away in Melbourne (RIP)

9. A Maltese migrant to Australia. No name

10 Lolly Savona. Migrated to Melbourne. Lolly's parents operated the Belle Isle Theatre at Birzebbuga during the 1940 - 1950s. Lolly lives in Melbourne.

11. Baby Joseph Calleja. My nephew. Son of Ninu Calleja (of Zurrieq Road) and Emily Calleja nee Coxhead. Joseph and his parents migrated to Melbourne March 1958 on the ill fated MS Skaubryn. The ship caught fire and sank in the Indian Ocean, April 1958. Joseph lives in Melbourne.

12. Anthony / Toni Gauci of Birzebbuga. His family nickname 'ta - Beccuna' He was a Sgt in the Army. (Passed away. RIP)

13. Eddie who owned and drove the Birzebbuga Bus No 1212. The bus was named VICTOR and he was known as 'Eddie tal Victor' (RIP)

14. This person was from Birzebbuga. He was called ' it - Tunezin '

15. A Maltese migrant who sailed on the SS Asturias.

16. A friend of Lolly Savona. Both of Birzebbuga.

17. A Maltese migrant who sailed on the SS Asturias.

The other persons are relatives and friends of the persons who were leaving Malta.

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Thursday, May 31, 2007

St Phillips Street Birzebbuga.



A street that I know very well. It has changed a great deal since 1955. During the 1940s and 1950s it was only 2 blocks long. St Francis Xavier Str divided the 2 blocks. During WW2 two bombs fell in St Francis Xavier Str. One of them right on the corner to St Phillips Str. About 5 houses were destroyed and another 5 badly damaged. Another bomb fell at the top end of St Francis Xavier Str opposite where the Spiteri family lived.


I just about knew every family that lived in St Phillips Street.
I remember these families: Vella, Micallef, Muscat, White, Zahra, Semini, Debrincat, Sacchett, Sultana, Bonnici, Gauci, Schembri, Gelarda the midwife, Baldacchino - ta-gogo family, Gatt family, Bugeja family, Camilleri family and others.

During the war there was a Goverment Air Raid shelter right at the top end of St Phillips Str opposite where the Vella 'ta L-Isla' family lived. All these families used to go down this shelter during the air raids and sleep together in the shelter.

The Street looks very bright and clean today and new families have settled there, along the extended street which now has about eight blocks.
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