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On this site, we are providing information about the Australian branch of the Beuchat family, whose origin goes back to the little village of Undervelier (see map ) in the French-speaking Jura region of Switzerland, but whose presence in Australia is only quite recent. Although the name is very uncommon in Australia, as the perusal of any telephone directory will reveal, it is far from being the case in Switzerland. This is why reference to the place of origin is required in order to avoid confusion with other Beuchat families whose origins lie in a different municipal borough.

A simplified family tree, covering the five most recent generations, can be viewed by clicking on the thumbprint on the right. On this chart, the members of the Beuchat family belonging to the Australian branch can then easily be located as they are grouped together in the bottom right-hand quadrant of the diagram with a thick red line joining them. Also it should be noted that, in order to avoid overloading the picture with details, descent has been traced through the male line only. In a way, this accords with the Swiss citizenship system, where children are recorded on a family booklet issued to the father and their birth registered patrilinealy in the borough of origin. We also point out that a large proportion of the dates are still unknown at this stage, but we shall endeavour to update this information as soon as the required data become available.

According to information displayed on the coat of arms, the presence of the family in Undervelier dates from 1770. To view a larger depiction of the image, where the text can be read without difficulty, just click on it. The caption on the ribbon below the shield can be translated as GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES, whereas the text box at the bottom of the image contains a description of the coat of arms, namely :

Beuchat, of Undervelier - 1770 -: On a blue shield, a silver circle containing a solid gold leaf and supporting the golden crown of the virgin.
(Arms of the families of the Bernese Jura)

Note :

Undervelier was part of the mostly German-speaking Canton of Berne until 1978, when a new Canton of Jura was created out of the French-speaking area in the Jura mountain range.