The Brother Hillary Memorial fountain has been restored at the Marist Brothers Primary School at Mulivai.

The restoration work was done by the Class of 1988 St Joseph’s College, Form four and was commissioned recently as part of the 130 years anniversary celebrations of Marist Brothers Education in Samoa.

The project costs between $7,500 and $18,600 and started three months ago. 

Marist Old Pupils Association president, Aumua Ming Leung Wai, said they found the fountain lying on the ground covered by vines last year, when they did a paintathon to repaint the school. 

“Even though we did not know the fountain’s name but we remembered, it was in front of the beach road where the Australian High Commission is located.” 

“We used to drink from that fountain because the water from the fountain was very cool despite the hot sun.” 

“We then, decided to restore it and call it the fountain of high ideals due to the words inscribed on it,” he said. 

Tuatagaloa said background research revealed that the fountain is named after Brother Hilary Francis, a 24-year-old Australian who was sent to Samoa with Brother Philippe to establish Marist education.

“He spent 25 years in Samoa and American Samoa in advancing Marist education but died in 1924. His former students who then formed the Marist Boys’ Old Union decided to erect a fountain to remember their old teacher by so in 1926 this fountain was erected by the Beach Road in honor of Brother Hillary.”

“I am very sure that everyone from the eastern side of town all drank from this very fountain, especially in those days we did not have bottled waters and the words on the fountain of course are very apt: ‘may the water from this fountain create an inspiration for high ideals in every boy who drinks of it’.”

“The money came from our own pockets or should I say from the pockets of our builder Mulipola Anton Ah Ben and civil engineer Su’emalo Peter Ott which both belong to our class of 1988,” Tuatagaloa said.

He acknowledged his 1988 Class for restoring the fountain, especially Mulipola Anton Ah Ben and Su’emalo Peter Ott and also to their families and friends for their support.