WARD OBSERVATORY ~ (1901)

The Ward Observatory houses a 24cm telescope, the largest unmodified refractor telescope still in use in New Zealand.

See the stars and Saturn on a beautiful clear night. Built in 1901 and situated at Cooks Gardens administered by the Whanganui Astronomical Society, it is named after Joseph Ward (1862–1927), the society’s first president and long-time director of the observatory. The Observatory was designed by A. Atkins to Joseph Ward’s specifications, cost £290 to build, and was formally opened by Premier Richard Seddon on 25 May 1903. The Ward observatory is an unmissable experience to explore the wonders of the night sky.