Ward was born in London and educated at Surry [sic] College, followed by
London University, graduating B.A. in 1907. He worked in
London County Council architect's department for three years. He served as private secretary to
C. Birch Crisp, a London financier, for a few years, accompanying him on his various travels. Next he was private secretary to Sir
James Mills KCMG, managing director of the Union Steamship Line, in which capacity Ward came to Sydney around 1912, and remained in Australia, taking whatever acting part he could land. but none of this helped gain a foothold in Australia. He took any on-stage work he could find, from an
extra ("extra gentleman") with
Lewis Waller's Company to a comedian's "patsy". He wrote a play and recruited a company to produce it, but could not find an "angel" to provide the necessary finance. He joined the
Sydney Repertory Society, to packed houses. He gained further public acceptance with
Muriel Starr's drama company in its 1913–1915 Australian tour. He had only a minor roles, but one night he got to play "Raymond Floriot" in her 1914 production of
Madame X, and won the part. In May 1914 Ward and
G. Kay Souper opened a Dramatic Academy, at Penzance Chambers,
Elizabeth Street, Sydney. Dubbed "the only bijou theatre in Sydney", in May 1915 it became the clubrooms for the Arts and Dramatic Club, founded by Ward. Later in 1914 he joined
Reynolds Denniston's Country Amusements Ltd touring company, playing in ''Nobody's Daughter
and The Rosary''. Ward wrote a play,
Little Sloe Eyes, which was performed at the Sydney Repertory Society's 1915 A.G.M. His Little Theatre Company folded in April 1915, and his and Souper's acting academy re-emerged. The Society staged
Hindle Wakes at the Repertory Theatre in June. In March 1916 Ward leased the
Little Theatre, where he first produced
Julia Seton's polemical
New Thought play,
The Victory.
Pinero's
The Second Mrs Tanqueray followed, starring
Eily Malyon as Paula and
Esther Mitchell as Ellean, to great acclaim.
Hindle Wakes,
The Critic, and
The New Sin followed, all critical successes but financial failures. In 1917 he directed, and played a comic part in,
The Rajah of Shivapore for Sydney James at the
Playhouse. In 1922 he tried running poultry at Manor Farm,
Carlingford, but he lost everything in the endeavour. For three years he edited ''
Everyone's, a weekly devoted to the entertainment industry, and in 1927 acted as publicity manager for Eva Novak, who was making a picture The Romance of Runnibede'' in Queensland, then he accepted the position of publicity director for Cinema Art Films Limited, which had dealings with Hoyt's Theatres Limited. During this period, 1928–1935, he was editor of
The Regent magazine, another trade paper. In 1934 he was partner with
John Longden in a company formed to film
Highway Romance, He was producer for the Hordernian Society, an amateur theatre company associated with the
Hordern emporium staff club. In 1937 he was engaged by Commonwealth Theatres Pty Ltd, as tour manager for their "Thirty Young Australians" revue. ==Mrs Ward==