WARD, CROSBIE (1832-67) was the third son of the Hon. and Rev. Henry Ward, rector of Killinchy, County Down, Ireland. He was educated at the College School at Castletown, Isle of Man, and then at Trinity College, Dublin. When he was 18 years of age three of his brothers—Edward Robert, Henry, and John Hamilton—joined the Canterbury Association in London (1850). The first-named was secretary of the Society of Canterbury Colonists. They sailed with FitzGerald in the Charlotte Jane and arrived in Lyttelton in Dec. Edward Robert was plainly designated for leadership, and Grey appointed him to the commission of the peace within two months of his landing.

The Ward brothers selected their land on Quail Island, in Lyttelton harbour. There they built their house and a yawl, the Lass of Erin, with which to keep in communication with Lyttelton. In Jun 1851, while returning from Governor's Bay with a load of wood, Edward Robert and Henry were drowned. On receipt of the news in Ireland it was decided that Crosbie should come out to wind up the affairs of his brothers, and he arrived in the Stag on 17 May 1852. Crosbie spent three years farming on Quail Island with his brother (John Hamilton), and became so interested in the affairs of the settlement that he could not refrain from taking part in them. When a vacancy occurred in the Provincial Council for Akaroa (1855) he was duly elected (with Moorhouse as colleague). Later in the year he stood for Parliament in the Country Districts, but was defeated. In Jul 1856 Ward joined the staff of the Lyttelton Times, where he showed great energy in the management. He lost his seat in the Provincial Council at the general elections of 1857 by being too late for nomination for Lyttelton. In 1858, when the controversy of the land regulations came to a head, Ward wrote for his paper the verses now celebrated as The Song of the Squatters, narrating the descent of the squatting interest upon the Provincial Council to influence its legislation. In May 1858 he was elected, without opposition, to represent Lyttelton in Parliament, and a few months later the same constituency returned him to the Provincial Council, thereby endorsing Moorhouse's tunnel project. He was re-elected in 1860.

Ward's progress to the front rank in provincial and colonial politics was immediate. Gisborne says: 'He was a young man of great public promise. Had his life and health been spared he would assuredly have attained the highest political position in the colony; his qualities were admirably fitted for the purpose. He was intelligent, well educated, energetic, and persevering. He had a rare combination of perceptive and reflective faculties, and a remarkable power of attracting support and of conciliating opposition. He took at once in the House of Representatives a leading position.' Alfred Cox says: 'In his grasp of finance there were few men in our colonial Parliament who came near him. He spoke on all questions, political as well as financial, with a fluency and force that has seldom been surpassed in the Parliament of New Zealand.' Ward's rich Irish endowment marked him out for rapid distinction; and no young man could more rapidly have moved to the van. At 26 he entered Parliament. At 29 he joined the Fox government as Postmaster-general and Secretary for Lands (really to represent the interests of the South Island). He tried on his own responsibility to get the stamp duties restricted to the North Island, but only rallied 15 members to his support. Fox in 1862 requested him to visit Hawkes Bay to compose a dispute between the settlers and the natives; and the tact by which he achieved success fully justified the experiment. He was one of the strongest advocates of a fast mail service between Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain, and as Postmaster-general promoted the scheme. Domett as Premier kept Ward on as Postmaster-general, and early in 1863 sent him to England to endeavour to make the necessary arrangements. Ward took a bold line and succeeded in making contracts for a service by way of Panama. While in England also he entered into important negotiations with the British Government regarding the cost of the Imperial troops in the Colony. His letter to Lord Lyttelton attracted much attention. Returning to New Zealand early in 1864, Ward found his government out of office and a Fox-Whitaker combination in its place. For some time there was a danger that the contracts would not be approved, but eventually Parliament endorsed them.

When Weld offered him a seat in his ministry (1864), Ward felt that his views had diverged too far from those of Weld as regards the relations of the two Islands, and he remained a private member. In 1866 he was elected for Avon. He was at that time involved in the superintendency contest between Moorhouse and Lance. The fight almost resolved itself into a duel between Ward and FitzGerald, fought in the columns of the two Christchurch papers. FitzGerald was a brilliant writer and a political dogmatist. Ward delighted to dazzle and annoy his opponents by occasional contributions and political squibs. He is also said to have been responsible for most of the witty sketches which graced the pages of Canterbury Punch.

Early in 1867 Ward accepted the post of agent in London for the province of Canterbury. Before leaving, he accompanied Hall to attend the postal conference in Melbourne. In London he was immediately immersed in work, and succeeded in selling £150,000 of debentures on behalf of the province. He set no limits to his efforts, and his energy hastened his death, which occurred on 25 Dec 1867. His widow (who was a daughter of James Townsend, Rangiora) afterwards married George J. Cooke, (London).

Canterbury P.C. Proc.; N.Z.P.D., 26 Jul 1866; Cycl. N.Z., i; Cox; Godley, Letters; Gisborne; Saunders; Edward R. Ward, diary in The Press, 24 Jan-28 Feb 1925; Canterbury Times, 15 Jan, 28 Dec 1868; Lyttelton Times, 29 Apr 1867, 16 Sep 1881; G. H. Scholefield in The Press, 14 Jun 1930 (p)

Reference: Volume 2, page 232

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