Background
Deschamps was born in Brisbane, the son of Jacqueline Hester née Irwin and Joseph Mark Deschamps.
Deschamps was born in Brisbane, the son of Jacqueline Hester née Irwin and Joseph Mark Deschamps.
He was educated at Glamorgan Preparatory School in Toorak, Melbourne. He graduated with a Master of Arts from the University of Cambridge and spent a couple of years as a school-master in North Wales before returning to Australia.
Deschamps joined the Department of External Affairs in 1937. January 1940 saw Deschamps appointed official secretary to the Australian High Commissioner in Canada. Between 1946 and 1947 Deschamps was Charge d"Affaires in Moscow.
In March 1950 Deschamps presented his credentials as the head of the Australian Military Mission in Berlin to the three Allied High Commissioners at Bonn.
In January 1952, Deschamps was appointed Charge d"Affairs in West Germany to open up the Australian embassy in Bonn. While Australian Ambassador to Cambodia (1962–1969) Deschamps also represented the interests of the United States in the country after King Norodom Sihanouk broke off diplomatic ties with Washington.
In January 1969 Deschamps was appointed Ambassador to Chile. He presented his credentials to President Eduardo Frei Montalva on 4 June 1969.
Deschamps was recalled to Australia for consultations shortly after a coup to remove the Allende Government.
He did not return to the country in an official capacity after the coup with the Australian Government instead appointing a charge d"affairs Deschamps retired in December 1973 to Melbourne. In his retirement, Deschamps was a patron of the Monarchist League.
In May 2005 Deschamps died in Melbourne, aged 96.