Battye worked on several Crawford Productions television serials as a writer, script editor, and producer including soap opera The Box in 1976 and 1977, The Sullivans and police procedural drama series Division 4, Bluey (1976) and Homicide.
Battye and business partner Peter Pinne wrote children's musicals which premiered at the Alexander Theatre, Monash University, from 1973 to 1980.
He later worked for Reg Grundy Productions, (later changed to the Grundy Organization) as Senior Vice President Drama Development which in that capacity made him producer and executive producer on such programmes as the action series Chopper Squad, which first took him to join the company, police procedural drama series Bellamy (1981) and soap operas, The Restless Years (1981), for which he also wrote over 100 episodes, Sons and Daughters for which he also wrote over 150 episodes (1982),[3] Waterloo Station (1983), Possession (1985) and Neighbours (also 1985).
[6] Rick Maier, the Head of Drama at Network Ten, and Jason Herbison, the series producer of Neighbours, paid tribute to Battye.
A prolific producer and writer, Don was highly respected throughout the industry, both for his work with Crawford Productions and Grundy Television.