Ward

History

Flaxbourne Station was established in the area around 1847. In 1905, most of the station was subdivided as part of the government's land reform, and Ward township was formed. The area was known by the name of the station. On the initiative of Richard Seddon, who was prime minister at the time, the township was named after his friend and political colleague Joseph Ward; a measure that was controversial at the time. The township of Seddon, named after Richard Seddon at the same time, is north of Ward. In 1961 the population was 218. As of 2017, there is a campaign to have the town renamed as Flaxbourne. The NZ Geographic Board, i.e. the organisation that has the final say on place names in New Zealand, has advised that the name Ward has never been officially registered.

Most-observed species

• Black Swan

  Cygnus atratus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  879
• Welcome Swallow

  Hirundo neoxena Gould, 1842 · Aves
  868
• Australian Shoveler

  Spatula rhynchotis (Latham, 1801) · Aves
  849
• Eurasian Skylark

  Alauda arvensis Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  839
• Kelp Gull

  Larus dominicanus M.H.K.Lichtenstein, 1823 · Aves
  818
• Gray Teal

  Anas gracilis Buller, 1869 · Aves
  813
• Paradise Shelduck

  Tadorna variegata (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  797
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  790

Most recent

• M 4.5 — 2026-06-16
  32 km W of Titahi Bay, New Zealand
• M 4.2 — 2026-06-12
  27 km E of Marybank, New Zealand
• M 4.2 — 2026-06-12
  12 km NNW of Renwick, New Zealand
• M 4.5 — 2026-06-02
  28 km W of Titahi Bay, New Zealand
• M 4.5 — 2026-05-29
  46 km ESE of Witherlea, New Zealand
• M 4.3 — 2026-05-16
  36 km SE of Witherlea, New Zealand