Her maternal grandfather,[3] was an accountant by trade in Perth who became a stock, station and shipping agent in the Kimberley from 1938 to 1970.

[6][7] Gardner joined the Nine Network in July 2002 to present weather on Nine News in Sydney, and to host afternoon updates.

[citation needed] In July 2009, Gardner was appointed Nine News Sydney weekend presenter, replacing Mark Ferguson after he signed with the Seven Network.

On 26 May 2014, Gardner announced on Today that she would be leaving the show to spend more time with family while continuing with the Nine Network on Nine News and occasional reporting for 60 Minutes.

[8] Gardner's final appearance on Today, on Friday 6 June 2014, attracted the program's highest ratings for some time: 359,000 viewers according to Oztam figures accessed from the web blog TV Tonight.

On 23 November 2017, it was confirmed that Gardner was to co-host Today on the Nine Network after Lisa Wilkinson left due to a salary dispute.

[9] In November 2019, the Nine Network announced that Gardner would no longer co-host Today effective immediately; she would return to presenting Nine News Sydney on Fridays and Saturdays.