Published on Matangi Tonga (https://matangitonga.to)

Home > St Bede's welcomes back Tongan Prime Minister

St Bede's welcomes back Tongan Prime Minister [1]

Christchurch, New Zealand

Saturday, May 16, 2009 - 18:45.  Updated on Saturday, April 12, 2014 - 22:06.

Dr Feleti Sevele at St Bede's College Dining Hall during a luncheon.



The Tongan Prime Minister returns to his old school St Bede's College, Christchurch, where he was welcomed by the Principal, Justin Boyle, during a New Zealand visit.

It was a walk down memory lane for Tonga's Prime Minister, Hon. Dr Feleti Sevele when he revisited his old school St Bede's College in Christchurch, on May 15 during a week long tour of New Zealand.

Dr Sevele spent only one year at St Bede's but they remembered him as a popular student. He was in the First XV rugby team and nine of the members of that team were there to meet him on Friday. Dr Sevele spoke at the school assembly and presented the school's weekly achievement awards. Students put on a performance of a Samoan dance and a Maori Haka. There are about four or five Tongan students at the school of 800. The Tongan delegation had lunch at the school, and were farewelled with a haka.

Dr Sevele is reunited with members of his St Bede's First XV.



St Bede's, Christchurch, welcomes the Tongan Prime Minister, an old boy of the school.

Dr Sevele was in Christchurch to present the annual 'Pacific Cooperation Foundation Annual Pacific Address" at Canterbury University on Thursday evening.

On Friday he also visited the university campus, and was met by the Vice Chancellor Dr Rod Carr. At the Geography Department he met with Dr Malakai Koloamatangi and Professor Martin Holland.

They also visited Rochester and Rutherford Halls and met with Tongan students at Canterbury.

Farewell haka performed by St Bede's.



Dr Sevele with University of Canterbury Vice Chancellor Rod Carr, and the Tongan delegation, including Lopeti Senituli, Moeaki Tatafu, Siosiua Ika, aide de camp, and Rob Solomon.

 


 

At the University of Canterbury geography department where Dr Sevele did his PhD on geography and economic development.



Dr Malakai Koloamatangi and Dr Feleti Sevele at the University Canterbury where Dr Koloamatangi is compiling a book on Tongan political terminologies.



At the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, the PM looking at the work of a Tongan resident artist, Kulimoe'anga Maka (second from left).



Tongan artist Kulimoe'anga Maka meets Dr Sevele.



Dr Feleti Sevele meets University of Canterbury scholarship student, Emma Puloka from Tonga.



Revisiting Rochester Hall where Dr Sevele stayed during his four years at Canterbury, Stepehn Kissick (centre)welcomed him back on Friday.



The PM hosted a dinner for his old friends from the St Bede's First XV at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Christchurch.



St Bede's College.





 
Pacific Islands [2]
Tongan Prime Minister [3]
St Bede's College [4]
Hon. Dr Feleti Sevele [5]
New Zealand [6]

This content contains images that have not been displayed in print view.

Source URL:https://matangitonga.to/2009/05/16/st-bedes-welcomes-back-tongan-prime-minister

Links
[1] https://matangitonga.to/2009/05/16/st-bedes-welcomes-back-tongan-prime-minister [2] https://matangitonga.to/tag/pacific-islands?page=1 [3] https://matangitonga.to/tag/tongan-prime-minister?page=1 [4] https://matangitonga.to/tag/st-bedes-college?page=1 [5] https://matangitonga.to/tag/hon-dr-feleti-sevele?page=1 [6] https://matangitonga.to/topic/new-zealand?page=1