Arthur was born in Cowell, South Australia, on 23^rd February 1912, the son of Arthur and Blanche Beckwith.

Educated at Cowell and Murray Bridge Primary Schools, Murray Bridge High School, Roseworthy Agricultural College graduating with Honours Diploma of Agriculture (RDA).

Arthur married Coral Lodge of Willaston in 1936. They have one son.

Cadetship at Roseworthy Agricultural College

• In 1932, Dr A R Callaghan (Principal) invited him to take up a cadetship with John L Williams, lecturer in Viticulture and Oenology. One project was an assessment of eight cultures of yeast from various sources. Alan R Hickinbotham, lecturer in Chemistry and Physics, also gave valuable advice. The resulting paper was read at the Technical Conference of Wine Week in Melbourne 1934.

Thomas Hardy & Sons Pty Ltd

• Colin Haselgrove offered him a job at Mile End in late 1933, as an assistant to Roger Warren. This was good experience in the commercial aspects of winemaking.

Penfolds Wines Pty Ltd

• Leslie Penfold Hyland invited him to join the Company at Nuriootpa, commencing on 2^nd January 1935 to assist the Manager, Alfred Scholz, in the winemaking. He worked with and was responsible to the Technical Director, Max Schubert, and indirectly the Chairman of the Board, Jeffrey Penfold Hyland.
• He became Chief Chemist to the Company in 1960; Technical Supervisor for South Australia in 1963; Branch Manager for Nuriootpa in 1964, Re-organisation of production facilities.

Arthur was also involved in The Australian Wine Research Institute.

• Deputy Member of Council, 1955-1973
• Member of Council, 1973-1976
• Member of Executive Committee
• Acting Chairman of Planning Committee, and Chairman of Barossa Committee for 2^nd Wine Industry Technical Conference at Tanunda, 1973
• South Australian Wine and Brandy Producers' Association and Federal Wine and Brandy Producers' Council
• Member and Chairman of the Technical Committees of both organisations spanning about 15 years to 1973