Deacon was born in the
Newcastle suburb of
Mayfield and raised on Dempsey and Mosquito Island (also known as Moscheto), on the
Hunter River. She lived for many years in
Stockton and was actively involved in the study and promotion of the history of Stockton and the Hunter River Islands. Deacon was interviewed in 1995 about communists and the left in arts and community oral history project. The recording can be found at the
National Library of Australia. In 2019, the book
Singing Back The River was published, which includes her stories and recollections of life on the Hunter River. She first started donating to the
University of Newcastle’s archives in 2001 to support regional history through the acquisition, conservation and research of significant regional historical resources. == Recognition ==