[8] In 1930, Dora and her sister Mary were commissioned by the Māori Ethnological Research Board to translate into English Augustin Krämer's study of Samoan culture, ‘Die Samoa Inseln’.
[4][9] In the 1950's she was asked by Skinner to identify examples of Italian Renaissance maiolica and of English delftware that the Otago Museum could purchase for their ceramics collection.
[14][15] De Beer climbed extensively in New Zealand, her first recorded visit to the Southern Alps was in 1915 with her elder brother, Bendix.
[20] In 1938 she took part in an expedition to Yunnan, Western China, the party of six which was led by Marie Byles also included Mick Bowie, Marjorie Edgar-Jones.
[21] The expedition's objective was an ascent of Mt Satseto 5,596 m (18,360 ft), the highest point of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain massif,[22][a] near the Tibetan border.
[23][24] Due to poor weather, the expedition failed to reach the summit,[25][26] the first successful ascent of the mountain was not made until 1988.
[27][28] Byles, Bowie and Edgar-Jones left for home after the unsuccessful attempt on Mt Satseto but the remaining members of the party, including de Beer, travelled through sections of the Yangtse gorge and on 2nd December made a successful ascent of Geena Nkoo.
[2] Many other gifts were made to institutions in the name of the three siblings Esmond, Dora and Mary,[34][35] the beneficiaries included Dunedin’s museum and art gallery and the University of Otago.