Ward is a small town in Marlborough, New Zealand

Marlborough, New Zealand

Marlborough is one of the regions of New Zealand, located in the northeast of the South Island. Marlborough is a unitary authority, both a region and a district, and its council is located at Blenheim. Marlborough is known for its dry climate, the picturesque Marlborough Sounds, and sauvignon blanc...

. It is located on State Highway 1, 20 kilometres south of Seddon

Seddon, New Zealand

Seddon is a small town in Marlborough, New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 1, 25 kilometres south of Blenheim and 20 km north of Ward...

. Kaikoura

Kaikoura

Kaikoura is a town on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 1 180 km north of Christchurch.Kaikoura became the first local authority to reach the Green Globe tourism certification standard....

 is 82 km to the southwest. The Flaxbourne River

Flaxbourne River

The Flaxbourne River is a river in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It arises in the Inland Kaikoura Range and Halden Hills and flows east and then south-east into the South Pacific Ocean near Ward. It is named after the Flaxbourne sheep station established by Sir Charles Clifford in 1847...

 flows past to the north and into the Pacific Ocean to the south-east of Ward.

The population was 903 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 3 from 2001.

History

Flaxbourne Station was established in the area around 1847. In 1905, most of the station was subdivided, and Ward township was formed. In 1961 the population was 218.

Education

Ward School is a coeducational full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile rating

Socio-Economic Decile

Decile, Socio-Economic Decile or Socio-Economic Decile Band is a widely used measure in education in New Zealand used to target funding and support to more needy schools....

of 6 and a roll of 58. A celebration to mark 100 years of schooling in the area was held in 2006.