David Green worked as a journalist at The Wild River Times in Herberton. In 1885 he was offered a position at The Daily Northern Standard in Townsville after writing a letter to the editor about the treatment of Aboriginal people. From there he joined the staff of The Townsville Daily Bulletin and The Townsville Herald in mid-1886.
After working for The Croydon Age from December 1887, Green returned to The Townsville Daily Bulletin. Although he was originally promised the position of assistant editor, the return to health of D. S. Clarke led to Green taking the role of senior reporter. In June 1891 he was appointed business manager of The Northern Miner, and he served as Executive Director of the North Queensland Newspaper Company for 31 years. In addition, Green served as editor of The Townsville Daily Bulletin and The North Queensland Register from 1911 until his death in 1941.
Source: James Manion. Paper Power in North Queensland. Townsville: The North Queensland Newspaper Company Limited, 1982.