He enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in May 1942 and trained as a fitter, serving in the Northern Territory, in Borneo, and on Morotai.
[1][2] On his return to Australia, Beeck acquired a sheep and grain property at Coyrecup (just east of Katanning).
He was elected as a councillor of the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia in 1966, and served as president from 1975 to 1978, overseeing a redevelopment of the Claremont Showground.
He was president of the steering committee that arranged for amalgamation of the pool with the barley and seed marketing boards.
Wesfarmers was still organised as a farmers' cooperative at that time, but the following year transitioned to a public company and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.