Rev Sione Pinomi (51) of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga in Australia passed away due to liver failure on Thursday, 7 April.

Tonga’s Honorary Consul in Sydney, Louise Waterhouse said the reverend was a central figure in the Tongan community in Australia, estimated to be around 40,000.

He held a leading role in the church that included overseeing it's quick expansion around eastern states of the country, including Glendenning, Robynvale, country NSW, Victoria and Queensland.

She said the church had been hit by a huge hurdle following an ambitious building program for it's cathedral at Glendenning, when funds ran out which saw the church lose many of it's assets.

“Rev Pinomi ensured the church was re-formed and tirelessly tried to find alternative solutions to help the church – right up until his succumbing to liver failure last week."

He was a volunteer Community Liaison Officer to the Consulate General of Tonga for nearly 20-years and more recently with it's establishment in 2008, the Tongan High Commissioner in Canberra, among assisting other matters concerning the community or to advance Tonga's interests. He had also helped the Hon Consul lobby for the Seasonal Workers Program to be approved in Australia.

A member of the Royal Order of the Crown by the late King HM George Tupou V, Rev Pinomi was a loyal, dedicated, hardworking, modest community leader, a good husband, family man and loyal friend who will be deeply missed within the Tongan community, said Waterhouse.