The huge Flaxbourne sheep station, which owned all the land from Lake Grassmere to the Clarence River, was purchased by the government then subdivided and sold by ballot on 26 June 1905. Part of that property was developed into Ward township that same year, and Ward railway station was opened when the line was completed in April 1910. Ward station was closed for passengers in March 1981 and fully closed five and a half years later. Now the shelter shed is gone, but the platform is still reasonably intact, although grass is growing through the tar seal surface. The building you see on the platform there is an equipment garage.
Sir Joseph Ward
Ward township is named after Sir Joseph Ward, Prime Minister of New Zealand 1906-1919, I think this is the only town in New Zealand named after a sitting Prime Minister. Joseph Ward was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1856. Joseph had nine siblings, seven of which died in their infancy. His father died due to alcoholism in 1860 and his mother married again two years later. The second marriage lasted just under a year and she and her three surviving children emigrated to New Zealand and settled in Bluff (then called Campbelltown). Joseph finished his formal schooling there, at age 13.
Joseph learnt morse code and became a clerk on the waterfront, becoming chief clerk handling the loading and unloading of ships. With a loan from his mother he built storage sheds and started his own business as a merchant, bringing in goods for the growing number of local farmers. In 1878, aged 21, he was elected to the Campbelltown Borough Council. At 25 years of age he was elected mayor. |
Joseph George Ward, 1930.
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In 1887 he entered Parliament as the member for Awahura. His skills were market-based and he would argue for new technologies as a way of expanding business and thus job creation. He became Postmaster General in 1891 and reduced the cost of toll calls and telegrams. Two years later he was promoted to Colonial Treasurer. However, while Joseph's personal political career was successful, the time he spent away from his personal business was starting to tell. His ability to get cheap loans for New Zealand did not translate into his personal endeavors and in 1896 his business were sold and he became insolvent.
However even this he turned to his advantage - the farmers he supported rallied around Southland's benefactor. Ward returned to Parliament as an undischarged bankrupt (at which point the law was quickly changed to prevent this from happening again). His bankruptcy was discharged in 1897 which allowed his wife and friends managed to buy his properties. He sold some shares which was sufficient to repay his creditors. His return to solvency delighted Prime Minister Seddon so much that Ward was returned to cabinet as Seddon's deputy, with the portfolios of colonial secretary, postmaster general and industries and commerce, to which were soon added railways and public health.
Ward again promoted post, telegraph and railways as a way to connect the country. He introduced further drops in charges (such as the introduction of penny postage) and the additional traffic resulted in increased profits to the Post and Telegraph Department. Telephone installation was kept at an affordable price. Rail passenger fares were reduced, and passenger numbers soared.
Ward took over as Prime Minister on Seddon's death in 1906. And I am going to stop here, because this cache is about the railway station, and not the person it was named after!
Ward, April 2017.
References:
Marlborough Express, 27 June 1905
Merrifield, R: "Beyond Dashwood", published by the New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society, 1990
McGavin, T.A.: "A Century of Railways in Marlborough 1876-1976", published by the New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society, 1977.
Scoble, J: "Names and Opening and Closing Dates of Railway Stations", published by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand, 2010
Churchman, G & Hurst, T: "South Island Main Trunk 1992", published by IPL Books, 1992. "Ward, New Zealand", Wikipaedia.
"Ward, Joseph George", Te Ara the Encyclopaedia of New Zealand.
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