From 1906 to early 1908, Donald's caricatures and cartoons were published under his own name or as Adam Plass in Adelaide papers Herald, Critic, Quiz and Gadfly (founded by A.E. Martin, also known as Peter Amos).

The Plass pseudonym was well established, with Plass reported as a 'well known South Australian Artist whose work is one of the features of The Gadfly'. In 1906, Plass was reported as recovering from a very serious illness that lasted over five weeks and taking a lengthy holiday in the northern towns of South Australia (Southern Argus 21/6/06).

In 1907, Donald contributed to the Sydney-based A.A.A. (All About Australians, 1901-1907) as Plass, alongside Ambrose Dyson and Ruby Lindsay. At this time, Plass made a contribution to The Bulletin, which was reported a 'picture acceptable, but you do not send joke, nor your name and address' (1/2/1906). He had two published entries in the Bookfellow decorative drawing competition for 'Headpieces and Tailpieces’ but was 'disqualified' (18/4/1907).

In 1907, Donald set out with Adelaide journalist Beaumont Smith to travel through Asia, America and Europe. However, he possibly got no further than Sydney. His work was published at this time in the Sydney-based Australia and Steele Rudd's Magazine in 1907, before he returned to Adelaide in early 1908. He operated a small studio in Adelaide teaching cartooning.

In 1908, he contributed to the first issue of Vumps, an Australian written and drawn comic paper. Vumps was published by Hector Lamond (1865-1947), editor of The Worker, the official paper of the Australian Workers’ Union.

In around 1909, he moved permanently to Sydney, working initially for The Star. His first work for The Sun was published in 1909. In the twenties, he was a regular contributor to the Sunday Sun 'Sunbeams' comic supplement, including a collaboration with Hal English on the strip 'Fashion Plate Fanny' (1923-1931). He drew caricatures and political cartoons for various magazines and The Daily Telegraph.

From September 1920 to March 1921, working under the Plass pseudonym, he was a regular cartoonist at The Australian Worker. After that, Donald provided illustrations and cartoons under his own name. From 8 November 1939 to 2 July 1941, he created a weekly children's strip about anthropomorphic koalas called 'The Bluegums' for the Worker. He finished work at the paper in 1944.

For a while he ran a printshop in Sydney and created large posters for hoardings advertising theatre shows.

Donald wrote and drew many comics in the forties for NSW Bookstall (1940-1942), Offset Printing Company (1944) and Pyramid Comics (1946-1948). In 1942, he reused the Plass pseudonym for a story for NSW Bookstall's Island of Amazement!