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. 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 was Louis Bonett then.

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

69, 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 Marriages, Baby-naming and Funerals, and keeping

busy and useful in my senior years. However, I have 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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