In 1947, Witcombe was awarded a scholarship at the
Mercury Theatre founded by
Peter Finch. The following year, the Mosman Theatre Club commissioned her to write three plays for children, which received national acclaim and began her writing career. In 1952, she moved to England and worked at the
BBC as a typist. Whilst in London, she managed to get her play,
Smugglers Beware!, produced and performed at
Toynbee Hall. She returned to Australia, and began producing radio scripts for
ABC radio, the
Macquarie Network and
Lux Radio Theatres. In the 1960s, she adapted
Smugglers Beware! and the novel
Pastures of the Blue Crane for ABC television, and was on the writing team for the sketch comedy series
The Mavis Bramston Show on the
Seven Network. She was also a founding member of the
Australian Writers' Guild (AWG) in 1962. In the early 1970s, Witcombe adapted two of
Norman Lindsay's works:
The Magic Pudding for a marionette stage show, and
Redheap for television, which resulted in a lifelong friendship with Lindsay's daughter, Jane Glad. She then joined the writing team for the soap opera
Number 96. In 1973, she adapted
Ethel Turner's
Seven Little Australians for ABC television. In the late 1970s, Witcombe adapted two novels into film scripts which became part of the Australian film renaissance at the time:
The Getting of Wisdom directed by
Bruce Beresford, and
My Brilliant Career directed by
Gillian Armstrong. ==Select credits==