Surface modification of materials may be undertaken in order to improve hardness of materials, as well as resistance to wear and corrosion. There are many ways of modifying surfaces to improve properties, including simple mechanical methods such as grinding and polishing. It is often desirable to treat the surface so as to induce compressive stresses in the surface layers, since such stresses will tend to inhibit crack propagation and there by improve the resistance to failure by fracture. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organization (ANSTO) activities in surface modification of materials by ion beam implantation.