Justin D'Ath is one of twelve children. He came to Australia in 1971 to study for missionary priesthood but left after three years. He has worked in a sugar mill, on a cattle station, in a mine, picked fruit and driven forklifts. He has written for motorbike magazines, and published for both adults and children. In 1995, Justin D'Ath was teaching Professional Writing at the Loddon Campaspe College of TAFE in the Mallee region of Victoria. For twenty years, he wrote only for adults, before trying his hand at writing for children after his daughter introduced him to contemporary children's books.
In 2012, Network Ten commissioned a live action television series based on D'ath's
Extreme Adventures series.