'APIFO'OU: A STORY WITH TWISTS AND TURNS
1865
'Apifo'ou College traces her foundation to 1865 when an all-boys day school named 'St Stanislaus College' was founded by Fr. Jean-Amand Lamaze SM at 'Ahopanilolo, Ma'ufanga, thereby making 'Apifo'ou one of the oldest secondary schools in the Pacific Islands
1885
With a view to expanding the school, Fr Lamaze (now Bishop Olepio) sought the nearby property of 'Vusi' for the college. On March 11, 1885, Ha'amonga announced that he'd give his property of 'Vusi' for the school. Classes began at Vusi under Fr. Olier in August 1887.
1889
The arrival of Fr. Emilien Thomas in Tonga in February 1888 led to 'Api Fo'ou having its first resident priest by the end of 1888. Fr. Thomas built up the college to become a boarding school from 1889 along with name St. Stanislaus changed to Blessed Chanel College.
1962
In order to allow students to follow the New Zealand syllabus, Bishop John Rodgers SM (Sipita) then decided to set up a new branch of the college at Makamaka under the new name of 'St. John's High School' while those at 'Api Fo'ou continued under St. Peter Chanel College
1964
'St. John's High School' was relocated to 'Api Fo'ou where it merged with 'St. Peter Chanel College' (for those under the Tongan syllabus) under the name of 'St. John's High School' with 'Esto Fidelis' as motto
1964
The SMSM Sisters set up an all-girls school at Makamaka named 'St. Anne's High School' for 39 girls who followed the NZ syllabus as well
+ Jean-Amand Lamaze SM, 1833-1906
+ Armand Olier SM, 1851-1911
+ John Hubert Rodgers SM, 1915-1997
1965
On September 8, 1965, St. Anne's High School along with newly established St. Cecilia at 'Ahopanilolo (since January 1965) were both relocated to 'Api Fo'ou to form 'St. Mary's High School' with 'Quodcumque Dixeritfac' as motto. St. Mary's would continue till 1986.
1986
In the leadup to the centenary of 'Api Fo'ou in 1986, Bishop Patelisio Finau SM decided to combine the all-boys St. John's High School and all-girls St. Mary's High School into a single school named 'Apifo'ou College from 1987 under its original motto of 'Adveniat Regnum Tuum'
+ Patelisio Finau SM, 1934-1993
[Source: 'Apifo'ou College, Wikipedia]