Under the leadership of Crown Prince Tupouto'a Tungi, the Tonga Chronicle, also called the Kalonikali Tonga, was founded in 1964.

It served as the main conduit for information about national policy, legislative changes, and government announcements.

In order to serve both domestic and foreign readers, it was published in two separate weekly formats: Tongan and English..

In March 2009, the Tongan government gave Kalafi Moala management of the publication due to its poor financial performance as a state-owned corporation. .

In order to reach a new market of non-Tongan speakers, the newspaper combined resources with the Times of Tonga and switched to an English-only format, which significantly decreased its staff size and traditional local circulation..

Due to persistent business difficulties, the print edition formally ceased operations in 2011 and was subsequently acquired by Etuate Lavulavu in September 2025. .

It is currently reporting in both Tongan and English on digital and print copies. While the internet version is updated daily, the printed is updated once a week. It seeks to cover current affairs, business, politics, sports, and opinions..