Desley Deacon

Desley Deacon (born 1941) is an Australian sociologist, historian and biographer. She has been professor emeritus at the Australian National University since 2009.

Early life and education Deacon was born in Pomona, Queensland in 1941. She is the daughter of Molly (née Head) and Frank Straker. She boarded at St Margaret's Anglican Girls School in Brisbane for her high school education. In 1963 she graduated from the University of Queensland with a BA (Hons). She was awarded a PhD in Sociology in 1986 by the Australian National University.

Career Following her graduation, in 1964 Deacon won a place in the Administrative Training Program established by the Commonwealth Public Service Board. Her career there was, however, interrupted when she married Allan Deacon, a diplomat and accompanied him on postings to Cairo, Malta and Saigon.

She lives in Sydney, New South Wales and is a reviewer for the Australian Book Review.

Her biography of Judith Anderson was shortlisted for the 2019 George Freedley Memorial Award by the Theatre Library Association in the United States.

Works