EARLY LIFE / SCHOOL
Raised in Taranaki by her Grandparents until aged 4½.
When mother remarried returned to Wellington for school, attending Wellesley College and then Onslow College. In 1970 family moved to Auckland, attended Papatoetoe High School.

CAREER
Theatrical career started having won the College Cup for Drama 1972. Following her nomination for best actress in the Guild of Film & Television Arts Award in 1987 she continued acting in Film, TV, Theatre and Cabaret until 1989 when she returned to Wellington in 1990.

Other major acting highlights include:

• 'Jewel Darl' (nominated best actress for dramatic role in 1987 G.O.F.T.A. awards)
• 'Close to Home'
• 'Inside Straight'
• 'Shark in the Park'
• 'Shortland Street' - 2 episodes

Moved to Carterton in the Wairarapa and enrolled on an Access Scheme, soon after she was teaching on the course and then became course administrator employed by the Carterton Community Centre.

1992 became a broadcaster for the morning show at TodayFM, the first FM radio station in the Wairarapa for 3 months.

Justice of the Peace since 1997.

Launched her book 'Change for the Better' published in October 1999 by Random House.

1996 - 1998 Appointed as Trustee of NZ Aids Foundation.

Patron of :

• Frontier & Western Shooting Sports Association
• Rainbow Youth

Georgina participated as a contestant in Dancing with the Stars in 2005. She has made numerous appearances on television, in media interviews and in magazine articles.

Georgina is currently rehearsing for an upcoming theatre show in Dunedin.

POLITICAL CAREER

Late in 1992 ran for the Carterton District Council in the local body elections becoming the highest polling unsuccessful candidate, losing by 14 votes.

1993 won a by-election with a clear majority.

1995 elected Mayor with a 48% majority.

1998 re-elected Mayor with 90% majority.

1999 elected Member of Parliament for Wairarapa with a 32% swing from National to Labour.

1999 - 2002 served on the following Select Committees:

• Law & Order Select Committee
• Local Government & Environment Select Committee
• MMP Review Select Committee - now disbanded with its work complete
• Primary Production Select Committee

• Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
• Māori Caucus
• Primary Production & Rural Affairs
• Local Government, Environment, Broadcasting and Conservation
• Arts Culture and Heritage
• Rainbow Caucus Committee
• Social Services, Justice Cultural Caucus Committee

Resigned as Mayor of Carterton in March 2000.

2002 re-elected Member of Parliament for Wairarapa with a majority of 6372.

2002 - 2005 served on the following Select Committees:

• Law & Order Select Committee
• Social Services Select Committee - As Chairperson
• Also served on a variety of Labour caucus committees.

2005 re-entered Parliament as Labour Government Member of Parliament (list position 35).

2005 - 1006 served on the following Select Committees:

• Chairperson of Social Services Select Committee
• Member of Local Government and Environment Select Committee

Resigned from Parliament in February 2007

CHANGE FOR THE BETTER - the story of GEORGINA BEYER as told to Cathy Casey. Published in 1999 and reprinted again in 2002 by Random House New Zealand Ltd.

• I was born in 1957, as I grew up I realised I was a woman trapped inside a male body. My book follows my rebirth, the time I worked as a stripper and prostitute in Wellington and Sydney before undergoing a full sex change operation in 1984. Since then my life has changed remarkably, I have worked as an actor, publicist and broadcaster, I was elected to the Carterton District Council in 1993, and became the first transsexual Mayor in the world in 1995.

  Review from the Wairarapa Times-Age

2002 Georgie Girl, a documentary about Georgina's life, was released internationally.

• What are the chances that a former prostitute could be elected a Member of Parliament, or of any parliament in the world, and what if that person were also a transsexual, the odds may seem insurmountable, but I am reported to be the world's first transsexual to hold such a position.
• As a result of my election and intense media focus, I have had some unexpected and wonderful opportunities, much of this has come about from the filming and production of my documentary Georgie Girl, produced by Annie Goldson and Peter Wells.
• Georgie Girl has been screened on POV in America to an audience of 15 million (potential audience of 250 million), on CBC Canada, Channel 4 in the UK, Scotland, Ireland and SBS in Australia.
• Georgie Girl won 5 International Awards:
  - Sydney International Film Festival - Audience Award Best Documentary
  - San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival - Stu & Dave's Excellent Documentary Award
  - Festival International de Films de Femmes de Créteil (France) - Audience Award
  - Queer Doc Sydney Gay and Lesbian Film Festival - Audience Award
  - Madrid Gay and Lesbian Film Festival - Best Documentary Public Award
  - The Peace Foundation - Media Peace Award

Georgina's Answers to viewer questions
Updated Interview with Georgina

Georgie Girl Presskit (PDF)