sˈoːɹd wʌz bˈɔːɹn ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti sˈɪks ɪn mˈɛlbɚn, ɔːstɹˈeɪliə, tə skˈuːltiːtʃɚz bɹˈaɪən ænd ɹˈoʊzɐli sˈoːɹd, ænd wʌz ɹˈeɪzd ðɛɹ ænd ɪn bˈɛndɪɡˌoʊ.
Sword was born in 1966 in Melbourne, Australia, to schoolteachers Brian and Rosalie Sword, and was raised there and in Bendigo.