George BEER, son of William & Elizabeth BEER, was born on 12 Oct 1838 in the village of Calne, WIL, ENG. He married at Calne on 19 Feb 1858 to Tryphena CLIFFORD, daughter of William CLIFFORD and Deborah WILLIAMS. Tryphena was born at Cricklade, WIL in mid 1840 and was baptised in the little village of Highway near Calne, WIL on 29 Nov 1840.

Not long after they married, George and Tryphena migrated to South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship Commodore Perry. Their eldest son William George BEER was born in the village of Bugle Ranges, about 40 miles south-east of the city of Adelaide, on 12 Jun 1860.

Between the birth of William in 1860 and the birth of their second son Alfred Henry BEER in 1863, the family moved from Bugle Ranges, over the border to the town of Wood End, VIC. Just why they did this, I have no idea - perhaps it was the prospect of good farming land coming available in that area, as it was certainly too late for the actual goldrush proper. But whatever the reason, it didn't keep them in Victoria for very long, as records plainly show that George headed of to New Zealand in search of "greener pastures" so to speak.

George BEER arrived in Pt Chalmers, NZ aboard the ship Eureka in January of 1862 by himself. His wife and two children followed him in November 1863 aboard the ship Aldinga. A further 9 children were born after their arrival. The family set up home in Queenstown on the South Island and later lived in the Mossburn area.

It seems that George owned quite a bit of property once they moved to New Zealand - there were cottages and farmlets in the Mossburn area, The Key Hotel was in his possession at one time, as was the Railway Hotel in the same place. He appears to have given or sold land to a good many of his descenant children and grand children alike.

George BEER died at Lumsden, NZ on 30 May 1901 and is buried beside his wife Tryphena who joined him in death on 24 Jul 1926, at Lumsden Cemetery.

The children of George & Tryphena Beer were:-

William George BEER 1860-1942
Alfred Henry BEER 1863-1949
Elizabeth Wakatipu BEER 1865-1886
Albert Edward John BEER 1868-1944
Joseph Alexander BEER 1870-1951
Ernest Clifford BEER 1872-1952
Alice Maud BEER 1873-1875
Maude Caroline BEER 1875-1950
May Louisa BEER 1877-?
Herbert BEER 1882-1926
Tryphena Clifford BEER 1884-1967