The Master of Fine Art document examines the inception of Matter Painting as it occurred in Europe and it's following in Australia. This document recalls the history and process of this late assimilation through examining the development of abstraction in Australia and the local receptiveness of influence from abroad. Within a climate of increased immigration and international awareness, Matter Painting was encountered by an initiated few. This history firstly begins with practitioners that were not in locale but rather overseas who were in close proximity to the centre of such avant-garde. It is not until the artist and critic Elwyn Lynn returns from his seminal overseas travels in 1959 and his first showing of "Matter" painting's in 1960 that Matter Painting in Australia gathered momentum. Discussed within this document is the history of this movement, the impact that it had on local practitioners and the relevance that it has played within my practice.