Choral Service of Thanksgiving for Australia-Tonga ties

The Uniting Church is set to co-host a historic celebration of diplomacy, culture and faith to honour two significant milestones in the relationship between Australia and Tonga.

This Sunday, a Choral Service of Thanksgiving will be held at St Stephen’s Uniting Church in Sydney to mark the 55th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Australia and Tonga, and the Golden Jubilee of the Tongan Consulate General in Australia.

The service will welcome Their Majesties King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u, Her Royal Highness Princess Pilolevu, along with heads of state, church leaders, community representatives and members of the Australian Tongan diaspora.

Rev Charissa Suli, President of the Uniting Church in Australia – and the first Tongan to hold the position – describes the occasion as both deeply personal and historically significant.

“This Choral Thanksgiving Service is a moment of deep significance,” Rev Suli said. “We gather to commemorate 55 years of diplomatic relations and the Golden Jubilee of the Tongan Consulate General in Australia. To do so in the presence of Their Majesties is a profound honour.”

Rev Suli reflected on the spiritual and historical bonds that tie the two nations together.

“In worship, we give thanks to God for heritage, faith and the enduring friendship shared between our nations,” she said. “This service is not only about diplomacy – it is about deep spiritual connections, shared histories and the journey of Tongan Australians who have contributed so much to this land.”

The Uniting Church, which shares Wesleyan roots with the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, has long-standing partnerships in Tonga through its schools and development work with the Assembly’s aid and development agency, UnitingWorld.

Rev Suli highlighted the service as a culmination of both institutional and personal journeys.

“For the first time, a Tongan President of the Uniting Church has been asked to preach,” she said. “I feel the prayers of my ancestors, their courage and faith, woven into this moment. My hope is that this celebration inspires future generations to carry forward the threads of faith, culture and unity.”

The service will also honour the remarkable history of the Tongan Consulate General, the first Pacific consulate in Australia, founded in 1973 when His Late Majesty King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV appointed his university friend Bill Waterhouse as Honorary Consul General. His daughter, Louise S.R. Waterhouse, now serves in that role and is co-hosting this event alongside the Uniting Church.

“The essence of the Service is one of thanksgiving,” said Ms Waterhouse. “We are privileged to host Their Majesties as we commemorate this extraordinary milestone. The trust placed in my father, and later myself, is something we cherish deeply.”

“From a small diaspora, the Tongan-Australian community has grown into a vibrant, vital part of our multicultural society,” she said. “Their faith, work ethic and culture enrich Australia.”

More than 400 choristers from across the East Coast will lead the musical items and worship before the gathering at the service, and those watching from around the world.

In addition to the Australian and Tongan national anthems, the program features a performance of Handel’s Zadok the Priest and the premiere of a specially composed anthem by Feti Ve, written to commemorate the Consulate’s Golden Jubilee.

Scripture readings will be delivered by dignitaries including His Excellency Curtis Tu’ihalanganie, Acting High Commissioner of Tonga to Australia; Rev Ofa Ki Tamavua Kaufusi from the Free Church of Tonga in Australia; and Rose Waterhouse, representing the next generation of Tongan-Australian ties.

“The relationship between Tonga and Australia will only grow stronger,” said Ms Waterhouse. “As Australia continues to recognise the unique contribution of Tongans – through community leadership, cultural richness and faith – we move forward together in gratitude and unity.”

Sunday’s Choral Service of Thanksgiving is already at capacity; however, it will be streamed online by Pasifika TV & Radio. A link to the livestream will be made available this Friday.