He was known primarily for his orchestral and chamber music, such as Kakadu (1988) and Earth Cry (1986), which evoke the sounds and feeling of the Australian bushland and outback.

His mother, Edna, was passionate about English literature and was the first woman to hold a driver's licence in Tasmania;[1] his father, Joshua, loved fishing and nature.

His Piano Sonatina was performed at the ISCM Festival in Baden-Baden in 1955[7] (the piece had been rejected for an ABC competition because it was "too modern").

Through Wellesz he met Wilfrid Mellers, whose wide literary interests included many Australian writers, and who recommended Sculthorpe read D. H. Lawrence's Kangaroo.

[7] Shortly afterwards, he made the acquaintance of the painter Russell Drysdale, who had recently lost his son to suicide, and the pair shared a working holiday in a house on the Tamar River.

[7] In 1965 he wrote Sun Music I for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's first overseas tour, on a commission from Sir Bernard Heinze, who asked for "something without rhythm, harmony or melody".

[7] Sculthorpe subsequently wrote an opera (music theatre), Rites of Passage (1972–73), to his own libretto, using texts in Latin and the Australian indigenous language Arrernte.

[7] His 16th String Quartet was inspired by extracts from letters written by asylum seekers in Australian detention centres.

[10] The Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award is given to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to music in Australia.

[13] It was founded by the Australia Council in honour of Don Banks, Australian composer, performer and the first chair of its music board.

The Peter Sculthorpe Fellowship would be offered biennially to support the career of an emerging composer or instrumentalist based in New South Wales who performs and produces new Australian music.

[16][17] Sculthorpe Complete String Quartets with didgeridoo (Del Sol String Quartet with Stephen Kent, didgeridoo) (released by Sono Luminus on 30 September 2014) Tamara Anna Cislowska released the album Peter Sculthorpe – Complete Works for Solo Piano in September 2014.