The environment was major contributing factor to the evolution of Australian art in the 20th century. The elemental landscape; isolation and distance, the imposition of the mythical and the visionary on the landscape, national identity the universal and the regional and the demise of Arcadia and romantic idealism interweave magnificently to present the impact of surroundings on the artwork of such a then delicate nation. In retrospect it was the surroundings/climate/atmosphere/feeling and people of our unique nation that undoubtedly shape what we know as "Australian art" sure there are direct influences from other cultures, but while knowing this we have...
faced all over Europe in the 1930s and 1940s far out-weighed that of the latter period. So the inspirations on Australian art from Europe were far more apparent in the early stages.

Overseas influences have been vast over the period studied. Seeing as Australia was still a culturally weak nation struggling to find what was its own national identity, all these political social and economic aspects coming in from abroad were confusing to what Australians should be, however they were what had a major involvement in what became of Australian art and made it so diverse, and so accepting.