Tonga College marked its122nd birthday with a week of celebrations and the opening by the Princess Regent, Princess Pilolevu Tuita, of the $1.1 million pa'anga Lopaukamea complex at Manamo'ui on October 30. The occasion was marked with prayers, feasting and traditional dancing attended by thousands of ex-students, friends and relatives.

The Vice President of the Tonga College Ex-student's Association, Ha'unga Petelo, said that several hundred ex-students had come from the United States, Australia and New Zealand for the celebration.

The week celebration began on Saturday October 23 with ex-students marching with their former classmates at the Tonga College school grounds, followed by a nightly choir singing contest and a grand ball on October 28, and it concluded on October 31 with a po hiva at the new Lopaukamea Hall.

Ha'unga said that this annual celebration was special this year because of the completion of their new home. He said that when the association wanted to rebuild the old Lopaukamea on Hala Taufa'ahau, Nuku'alofa, they were told that government had other plans for the area, but they were very thankful to King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, the Patron of the association who gave them eight and a half acres at Manamo'ui for the new Lopaukamea Complex. The complex was financed with contributions from thousands of active members of the association in Tonga and in various parts of the world. The architect and the construction was carried out by an an ex-student, Solomone Tuita of Jaimi Architects, and the landscaping of the complex was by another ex-student, Mosa'ati Moala from Ha'asini.

Solomone said that construction started in March and the complex has a total floor space of 912 square meters, including a 500 square meters main hall and five adjacent rooms.

Ha'unga said that the association plans to use the rooms to house a library, a computer room, training centre, a canteen and a kitchen.