Jane Ward was born in Unley, South Australia and grew up in Port Lincoln. She was educated at Adelaide University (BA) and the Adelaide Teachers College (Dip. Teach.) and taught briefly before moving to New Zealand. She later married and moved to the United States for 4 years. The marriage was dissolved and she returned to Australia.

At the time of the 1988 election campaign, Jane Ward had lived in the Balmain area for 15 years, with her Australian husband and three children. She was also a teacher in the Corrective Services Department and had a long association with the peace and environment movement. She was also President of the Balmain Association and a member of Networking for Women.

Jane Ward was a founding member of Punch Park People, a local environmental group. She has been a Director on the Board of the Kindergarten Union of New South Wales since 1986. She was President of the Kindergarten Union 1988-89 and is a member of its Finance, Audit and Marketing committees (2005). In 1988 she was on the steering Committee of the Conservation Foundation's Urban Planning and Environment Coalition. In 2005 Jane Ward was Coordinator/Counsellor of the Lone Parent Family Support Services.

Sources used to compile this entry: Collection of the election leaflets, handouts, newspaper cuttings etc. for the New South Wales state election, 19th March 1988, Mitchell Library; http://www.ku.com.au/HTML/About/Board_Members.htm (accessed 29 July 2005); Jane Ward, 29 July 2005.