[2] Ward was born in Sydney, Australia – hence his name – and moved to New Zealand in 1917 prior to playing first-class cricket for Wellington in the late 1920s.

[6] In 1937–38 he was the leading batsman in Wellington senior club cricket, with 642 runs at an average of 64.20 for Kilbirnie, who won the championship.

[7][8] He played representative rugby for Wellington between 1931 and 1934, when a broken leg ended his football career.

[9] Ward served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force in World War II, stationed at Nelson.

[10][11] He worked as a watchmaker – initially as his father's apprentice[3] – and jeweller in Wellington until 1982, then retired to the Wairarapa farming village of Kaiwaiwai, between Featherston and Martinborough.