Garner first came to public attention in 1985, as Tamara Henderson in the Australian TV series, "The Henderson Kids", and then in her debut film "The Still Point". Girl made her stage debut in 1987, in the title role of the Melbourne Theatre Company production of "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg". Since then she has worked extensively in film, theatre and TV (both in Australia and the UK) and received awards and nominations for performances in each field. Also interested in writing, Gerner wrote and performed in the stage work Birds Eye View in Sydney, 2002.

Nadine has worked with most state theatre companies, in a wide variety of roles in works by Shakespeare, Moliere, Sheridan, Ibsen, Chekhov, Orton, Shaffer, Lawler and Elton. She also played the role of Desire in the highly controversial Australian musical Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom.