It is located on State Highway 1, 82 kilometres (51 mi) north of Kaikōura.

[3][4] A current initiative aims to have the town renamed as Flaxbourne.

[5] In 1905, most of the station was subdivided as part of the government's land reform, and Ward township was formed.

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.

[7] Ward is defined by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement.