Pembroke, Malta's newest city was named in 1859 after the twelve "Earl of Pembroke" and British Secretary of War. Pembroke has on one side the Mediterranean Sea and on the three other sides the city of St Julians and the residential areas of the Swieqi and Baħar is-Ċagħaq. Its size is 2.3 square kilometres and is located six kilometres away from Capital Valletta and twelve kilometres from Malta International Airport. The estimated population on 1 January 2019 was 3,842. (Sorz Government Gazette number 20,259 Page 21,632, 03/09/2019)
History
Pembroke knows its origins to the Knights of St John of Jerusalem who built two towers on its coast as a means of defending the Great Harbour due to Pembroke's strategic position. However, the English Services have been instrumental in the development and fortification of this city. The first building built between 1859 and 1862 was the "Barracks" mentioned for St George – the patron of the British. More buildings were built in the following years and was named after the patrons of Ireland and Scotland – St. Patrick and St Andrews respectively. Fort Pembroke was built between 1875 and 1878 to defend any enemy attack from the sea as well as from the land on the part of the Victoria Lines. The Pembroke Battery was later built to serve for the same defence purpose. Several regimests were served in Pembroke and the last British soldiers are said to have left Pembroke in March 1979. During the Second World War, German War Prisoners held in Pembroke, built a small chapel to meet the needs of the British Services. The land occupied by the English services was passed on to the Maltese Government and after being released for some years, in the mid-1980s "the Barracks" began to be transformed into private, office and complex tourist residences. The government later released the land for sale and the first residents entered their homes in 1986.
By virtue of the 1993 Local Councils Law, Pembroke was one of the 67 localities held by its Local Council. The first election took place on Saturday 19 March 1994. Since then seven further elections have taken place in 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2013 and 2019. The next election will take place in 2024.
Coat of
Pembroke's coat reflects the military connection Pembroke has always had. Two gold swords on a red background are crucified and surrounded by thirteen Tories built by Grand Master De Redin.
Parish Priest
When Pembroke began to be inhabited, he belonged to St Julian's Parish, and at the request of Parish Priest Dun Tony Agius, the chapel that had built the German prisoners was enlarged and recoloured on the designs of Professor Richard England. When the Curia set up a new Pastoral Area for Ibraġ, Pembroke began to be part of this area until Palm Sunday 1998, when the pastoral needs of the Pembroke community began to increase, the Curia issued an Episcopal decree establishing a new Pastoral Area for Pembroke. In recent years a Pastoral Centre dedicated to the Risen Christ has been built which is being used to serve the needs of the Pembroke community. The centre and the Church to be built were designed by Architects Antonio Mollicone and Paul Camilleri.
Ecology and Geology
In Pembroke one finds endemic plant species, some of which are only here, the most important of which are – Tursin the Swimmers. A mixture of planted trees is found in Pembroke, with the most predominant Pine trees followed by Olive trees. There are three waterways – one passing through Triq il-Mediterran to the sea known as Point l-Ilqieqa; another near the Madliena Tower known as The Back; and the other, best known is Wied Lamb Pigeons which from Pembroke's entrance to St George's Bay.