[1] Beauchamp was born in Auckland New Zealand in 1936, and spent his childhood in Picton before going to Canterbury University College where he completed his B.E.
He also spent a year working for Mott, Hay and Anderson in their London, UK bridge design sevtion during this period.
[citation needed] He founded his own structural and civil consultancy practice in March 1969, David Beauchamp Pty.
In the 1970s, Beauchamp collaborated with George Tibbits and Miles Lewis on an analysis of the historic fabric of Carlton, for which they were awarded the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (Victorian Chapter) Robin Boyd Environmental Medal for their report Urban Renewal Carlton an Analysis.
[4] This report was an important contribution to the change in planning policy which stopped the Housing Commission of Victoria's Program for demolishing 80 hectares of the historic inner Melbourne suburb of Carlton.