Donaldson was born in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, and in 1965 emigrated to New Zealand, where he established a small still photography business and began making adverts.
Donaldson lahir di Ballarat, Victoria, Australia dan pada 1965 beremigrasi ke Selandia Baru, dimana ia mendirikan sebuah bisnis fotografi cuplikan kecil dan mulai membuat iklan.