David Beauchamp

{{Short description|Australian civil engineer}}

{{about||the member of the Minnesota House of Representatives|David J. Beauchamp}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}

{{Use Australian English|date=April 2018}}

{{Infobox engineer

|image =

|image_size =

|caption = David Beauchamp

|name = David Beauchamp

|nationality = Australian

|citizenship = Australia

|birth_date = 1936

|birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand

|death_date =

|death_place =

|education = Canterbury University College, Canterbury, New Zealand

|spouse =

|parents =

|children =

|discipline = engineer

|institutions = Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Engineers Australia

|practice_name = David Beauchamp Pty. Ltd., Beauchamp Hogg Spano Consultants Pty Ltd

|significant_projects =

|significant_design =

|significant_awards = Robin Boyd Environmental Medal

}}

David Beauchamp (born 1936) is a New Zealand born, Australian civil engineer who has contributed extensively to engineering heritage and research.

{{Cite web |url=http://www.ipenz.org.nz/heritage/conference/presenters/beauchamp.html |title=3rd Australasian Engineering Heritage Conference Proceedings, Engineering in the Development of a Region–Heritage and History, Salmond College, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand 22–25 November 2009 |access-date=28 November 2013 |archive-date=24 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190124114135/http://www.ipenz.org.nz/heritage/conference/presenters/beauchamp.html |url-status=dead }}

Education, qualifications and career

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. (Civil) in 1958. He was captain of the CUC athletic team in his final year winning the Lovelock Relay in Dunedin. He worked in the New Zealand Ministry of Works in Fiji and Wellington, then moved to Melbourne late in 1963, taking a position with Civil & Civic followed by John Connell & Associates until 1969. He also spent a year working for Mott, Hay and Anderson in their London, UK bridge design sevtion during this period.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

He founded his own structural and civil consultancy practice in March 1969, David Beauchamp Pty. Ltd. based in Princes Hill, and latterly Beauchamp Hogg Spano Consultants Pty Ltd in Richmond. The firm specialised in Engineering Design & Consulting Services and Naval Architecture Services, and has worked with many of Melbourne's leading architects{{which|date=February 2025}} on the design of structures for a wide range of buildings.{{Cite web |url=http://www.hotfrog.com.au/Companies/Beauchamp-Hogg-Spano-Consultants |title=Hotfrog Business listing |access-date=28 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203231802/http://www.hotfrog.com.au/Companies/Beauchamp-Hogg-Spano-Consultants |archive-date=3 December 2013 |url-status=dead }}

In later years he specialised in forensic and heritage engineering. He has prepared reports on building Murtoa Grain Store, the Parliament House, Melbourne, the world heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building Melbourne, and several historic bridges including the Barwon Heads Bridge Geelong,[http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/events/ehv-guest-speaker-program-david-beauchamp-barwon-heads-bridge-controversy-rebuilding Barwon Heads Bridge controversy rebuilding Engineering Heritage 3rd National Conference 2009] Princes Bridge, Melbourne and the 1867 Ellerslie Bridge.

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.{{Citation | author1=Carlton Association (Melbourne, Vic.) | title=Urban renewal, Carlton : an analysis | year=1972 | publication-date=1972 | publisher=Carlton Association | isbn=978-0-9599181-1-3 }} 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.

Beauchamp was the first chairman of the Council for the Historic Environment, an inaugural member of the Victorian Heritage Council in 1995 and a member of the National Trust Historic Bridges Committee. He has also been a member of ICOMOS, the Australian Planning Institute, the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Engineers Australia, and chair of Engineering Heritage Victoria.

References

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Selected publications

  • Tibbits, GR and Beauchamp, D. John Harry Grainger: Engineer and Architect [online]. Australian Journal of Multi-disciplinary Engineering, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2010: 11–22. [http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=573262975343802;res=IELENG Availability: informit.com.au] {{ISSN|1448-8388}}. [cited 28 Nov 13].

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Category:Engineers from Melbourne

Category:1936 births

Category:Australian civil engineers

Category:Living people

Category:People from Auckland