[3] Davern was employed as a writer and script editor with Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television branch in the 1960s.
He worked as a producer and director in drama and music programmes and was involved in establishing a script production line.
In 1967, Davern was director and producer of the very first episode of Bellbird, Australia's first successful television soap opera, set in a rural community.
Davern wrote episodes for Homicide, Alpha Scorpio, Rush, Patrol Boat, A Country Practice, and Warming Up.
[9] In 2014, Davern received an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for service to television as a writer, director and producer.