Graduating with an Honours degree in agricultural chemistry and botany from Sydney University, Don Drover was appointed lecturer at the University of Western Australia in1949. He went on to complete his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at the University, and was promoted to senior lecturer in soil science in 1954. At 33 years of age Drover was appointed Head of Biochemistry and Soil Science at the University of Khartoum, Papua New Guinea (PNG). Due to the political and civil unrest, Drover left PNG in 1964 and worked in Canberra at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Office (CSIRO), Division of Land Research. In little over a year he returned to PNG and academia as foundation professor and head of chemistry at the University of Papua New Guinea. He built the chemistry department and lectureships up from scratch and was awarded the Papua New Guinea Independence Medal for his achievements. In 1981 Drover returned to Australia, firstly to the Northern Territory as Chief Scientist, Department of Primary Production in Darwin, and then to Sydney as the Science Liaison Officer to the Reserve Bank of Australia where he administered grants for the Rural Credits Development Fund. In 1989 Don Drover was appointed Principal Soil Chemist, Chemistry Centre of Western Australia, Department of Mines in Perth.