10 euro – 150th Anniversary of John Borg's Birth

John Borg was born in Balzan on 9 November 1873. Although a doctor by profession, his love for nature and natural history led him to take on the responsibilities of Superintendent of Public Gardens in 1900. He was instrumental in creating new public gardens and rearranging existing ones. Borg also embarked on a tree-planting programme around Malta. For many years he was the secretary of the Società Economico Agraria. He reorganised the Agriculture Department and set experimental farming on surer foundations. In 1921, Borg was offered the chair of Natural History at the University of Malta, a post he occupied until his retirement in 1933. John Borg had various publications to his name. He also built a comprehensive collection of cactus and succulents which was considered to be one of the best collections in Europe. In 1945 he donated his collection of around 4,000 plants to the Argotti Botanic Garden. John Borg died on 4 May 1945.