By 1908 when he was playing rugby league in the code's inaugural competition year, he was located in Brisbane.

He was selected in the first ever Queensland Maroons state representative side to play the new "Northern Union" style of rugby, taking on Albert Baskerville's New Zealand All Golds on their inaugural tour.

[4] When the New Zealand team came back on the return leg of their tour, they played three Test matches against the first Australian representative sides ever selected.

Baird continued to play at fullback for Queensland against a touring New Zealand Māori rugby league team in 1908.

[6] He enlisted with the AIF as a Private in the 47th Battalion (Australia) and embarked from Brisbane in May 1916 on HMAT A46 Clan Macgillivray.