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Dr Vera Frances Deacon OAM (née Pember, 19 July 1926 – 16 May 2021) was an Australian historian, writer and philanthropist.[1][2][3][4]
Deacon was born in the Newcastle suburb of Mayfield and raised on Dempsey and Mosquito Island (also known as Moscheto), on the Hunter River.[5] 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.[6]
In 2019 the book Singing Back The River was published, which includes her stories and recollections of life on the Hunter River.[7]
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.[8]
Recognition
The Vera Deacon Regional History Fund was established in her honour in 2008. She was named Freeman of the City of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia in 2019.[9]
In 2020 Deacon was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to community history and to conservation.[10][11][12] In this same year she was awarded an honorary doctorate, Doctor of Letters, from the University of Newcastle.[13]
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