Lancashire arrived in Australia in 1963, establishing a practice in Sydney, later moving to Melbourne to work as a freelancer. He "art-directed" for advertising agencies as David Lancashire Design. His studio took on the design of paper stock for Mohawk, Australian Paper, Daltons and K.W. Doggett. The studio's "Australis" and "Outback" custom paper for Australian Paper explored colour, texture and "laid" effects.