Donegan was born about 1940. He was born at Yanpan, a rock hole near Ngatuntjarra bore in outback Western Australia. He grew up living a traditional, nomadic way of life in the Pitjantjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra country around what is now the communities of Papulankutja and Mantamaru. His family settled at Papulankutja (then known as Blackstone) in the 1950s.