Below is an excerpt from a transcript Matt wrote to a friend early 2004. 

Briefly: I was born in Egypt of mixed European parentage (French/Italian/English) and came out to Australia in 1951 after a year in England. I was always musically inclined and started singing and playing guitar in Melbourne soon after my National Service in the RAAF at Point Cook in the mid-fifties. The name I was known by then was Louis Bonett.

I started playing double bass with a couple of groups and toured Japan and worked around Australia until early sixties when I went to England, formed my own group and worked in London for four years.

On my return to Australia I had the band at the Chevron Hotel in Melbourne, still playing bass and singing. A Melbourne musician ( Johnnie Hawker ) used me in some singing commercials for radio and television and these came to the attention of Ron Tudor. This man offered me a recording contract on Behalf of Astor records and suggested the name change to Matt Flinders to make it easier for DJ’s to pronounce and remember.

My first record, a single, was 'Something is happening' which went to no 14 on the charts. A year or so later, late 1969, I recorded 'Picking up Pebbles' still on Astor. This went to No 1 and had the distinction of replacing a Beatles hit from the No 1 spot ( Hey Jude, I think?).

From then on I recorded on Ron Tudor's label 'Fable'. I started working with the ABC, with my own shows, both on Radio and Television and was the recipient of a TV award for one year.

I am not working in the business any more, and only perform rarely for charitable or other organisations in a very low-profile way. I am now a Civil Celebrant, doing Baby-naming and Funerals, and keeping busy and useful in my senior years.

I have however a bit of a yen to record a CD of some of my favourite songs, such as I have never recorded before... but who knows? Perhaps, one day, but it will be purely self-indulgent if I do.

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