Garrard's family had settled in the Nelson district after moving from England.

He obtained a BA degree from Canterbury College, and taught at Kaiapoi, then as headmaster at Papanui on the outskirts of Christchurch.

[1] He played his first match for Canterbury in 1886–87, batting at number six and scoring 24 in a victory over Otago.

[6] He initiated a system of communication between city schools and rural schools in order to enable rural teachers and students to keep up to date with educational developments.

[8] They had a daughter and two sons, Raoul and Wilson, both of whom represented New Zealand at cricket.