On 5 August 2026, His Excellency Curtis Leonard Tu‘ihalangingie presented his Letters of Credence to Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, at Government House in Canberra, formally commencing his tenure as High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Tonga to the Commonwealth of Australia.
The Consulate-General of the Kingdom of Tonga in Portugal warmly congratulates His Excellency on his appointment and wishes him every success in his important new responsibilities.
His Excellency is well known to the Consulate-General in Portugal. In June 2024, Comendador Anthony Bailey, Hon Consul-General of His Majesty The King of Tonga to the Portuguese Republic, paid a courtesy visit to Mr Tu‘ihalangingie at the Tonga High Commission in Canberra, where he was then serving as Acting High Commissioner.
During the visit, the Consul-General met diplomats and staff of the High Commission and received a briefing on the longstanding relationship between Tonga and Australia.,
His Excellency has served at the Tonga High Commission in Canberra for seven years, holding successive appointments as Second Secretary, First Secretary and Acting High Commissioner. Prior to his posting in Canberra, he held appointments within the Government of Tonga, including at the Royal Palace and His Majesty’s Diplomatic Services.
His Excellency holds a Bachelor of Law with a major in Diplomacy and a Master of Law in International Relations from Peking University in the People’s Republic of China.
The Tonga High Commission in Canberra also holds concurrent accreditation to the Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam, the Republic of Indonesia, the Kingdom of Malaysia, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore and the Kingdom of Thailand.
His Excellency is joined at the High Commission by Ms Grace Faitumalo Motu‘apuaka, First Secretary and Deputy Head of Mission, and Mr Tasimani Duifken Telefoni, Second Secretary.
Tonga and Australia established diplomatic relations on 4 June 1970 and in 2025 celebrated 55 years of diplomatic relations. The two countries enjoy a broad and longstanding partnership encompassing security cooperation, economic and human development and strong people-to-people links.
The relationship has been further strengthened through the Kaume‘a Ofi initiative. A Statement of Intent was signed in Canberra on 19 September 2025 by then Acting High Commissioner Curtis Tu‘ihalangingie and Australian High Commissioner to Tonga His Excellency Brek Batley, during the historic visit to Australia by Their Majesties King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau‘u of Tonga.
Hon Consul-General Anthony Bailey said: “I am delighted to extend my warmest congratulations to His Excellency Curtis Tu‘ihalangingie on his appointment as High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Tonga to Australia.
“I greatly appreciated the warm welcome which was extended to me during my visit to the High Commission in Canberra in June 2024 and the opportunity we had to discuss Tonga’s diplomatic engagement in Australia and the wider region.
“His Excellency brings considerable diplomatic experience and knowledge to this important appointment, and I wish him and his colleagues every success as they continue to strengthen Tonga’s relations with Australia and the other countries to which the High Commission is accredited. It is note worthy too that Portugal’s non resident Ambassador to the Kingdom of Tonga is also based in Canberra as Ambassador of Portugal to Australia”.
The Consulate-General of the Kingdom of Tonga in Portugal looks forward to continuing its Tonga High Commission in Canberra as part of the wider diplomatic representation of the Kingdom of Tonga overseas.
Official links:
His Majesty’s Diplomatic Services
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578857633606
His Majesty’s Diplomatic Services
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/his-majestys-diplomatic-services-tonga/
Consulate-General of the Kingdom of Tonga in Portugal:
https://tonga-gov.pt/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TongaPortugal/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/tongainportugal/
Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia:
https://www.gg.gov.au/
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Tonga:
https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/tonga
