MCCV Treasurer Paul Borg awarded OAM for services to Maltese community

 NEWS   Maltese Community Council of Victoria’s honorary treasurer and retired bank manager, Paul Rosario Borg, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his volunteer work with the Maltese community. The award was announced in the Queen’s Birthday honours list published today.

Mr Borg is treasurer of the Maltese Community Council of Victoria for 44 years, an honorary auditor to 18 Maltese community and sports groups, and voluntary financial controller at two Dominican Sisters of Malta nursing homes, one in Keilor Downs, Victoria and the other in Blacktown, NSW.
Paul has richly deserved this honour. He has been MCCV Treasurer for over four decades, dealing with all issues relating to finances, employment of staff and, particularly in the early days, for fund-raising for building the Maltese Community Centre in Parkville.  He would be seen on every Friday evening at the Centre organising the bingo sessions for the Maltese community.  There is no doubt whatsoever that the Centre and the Council would not have been able to carry on its work without his continuous and valued involvement.
Paul has also been very involved as a Controller for the Rosary Home in Melbourne freely giving untold hours of voluntary work. He flies to Sydney for three or four days each month to voluntarily perform the financial controller duties at St Dominic’s Hostel in New South Wales and also travels to Keilor several times per week to assist the Domincian Sisters of Malta at Rosary Home.
Interviewed by the Leader Community Newspapers for an article about the award published today, Mr Borg said, “I’m a bit shy about getting this honour. If you’re a bank manager you are expected to assist with finances. Don’t ask me to hold a hammer, but I can hold a pen!”
Despite Mr Borg’s efforts to play down his achievement, the 78-year-old’s volunteer work speaks for itself.
Mr Borg migrated to Australia from Malta in 1954 and started work as a cost clerk with the Gas and Fuel Corporation.
He said he started volunteering soon after to help other newly arrived migrants.
“I know that when a person migrates from one place to another they need a lot of assistance,” he said.
Mr Borg made connections in his new country through sport, becoming president of the Coburg Soccer Club from 1955 to 1962 and then secretary, treasurer and president of the George Cross Soccer Club from 1963 to 1980.
He is married to Pauline. He has four children — Darryn, Simon, Tracey and Joanne — and 10 grandchildren.
The President and members of the MCCV Executive Committee congratulate Paul on his well-deserved recognition for his sterling voluntary services to the MCCV and to the Maltese community over more than half a century.