Margaret Deacon Book Shop

Highfields Pioneer Village:
​its history and collections 

by Margaret Deacon
​Highfields Pioneer Village is dedicated to preserving the historical legacy of the early settlers in the Darling Downs region. The Village is located just north of Toowoomba in Queensland. Each year thousands of tourists flock to the area to see and experience how those early pioneers lived.

This book takes you on a personal journey through the village as it displays a wonderful array of artifacts and superb collections that shape this museum.  It tells the story of one man’s dream and his commitment to preserve the past. The book explores how and why rural histories survive, and the significance of our social history.

Glorious:
​Exploring Tasmania in 1914

by Margaret Deacon
​Take a journey back in time and discover the charm of early travel in Australia. Glorious is the story of Lizzie Smith, as she travelled from Helidon in Queensland to Hobart in Tasmania in 1914, with her mother and friends.  Lizzie's diary provides a charming insight into an earlier and gentler era when trains, steamships and horse-drawn vehicles governed the life of a tourist at the time. During their 38 day adventure in 1914, they visited Sydney and all the best tourist spots in Tasmania, Port Arthur, Launceston, Queenstown and Strachan.  Written just after the outbreak of World War 1, this beautifully reconstructed diary gives the reader a delightful snapshot of life at that time.
Margaret, Lizzie's granddaughter has given her words meaning and a voice in this well-crafted book.
THE AUTHOR

Margaret Deacon

Margaret Deacon developed her love of writing late in life.  Early family photos were always a source of fascination and her mother’s stories elaborated on the social history of the times. 
​On her retirement from work in management Margaret undertook a Graduate Diploma in Local, Family and Applied History at the University of New England, Armidale, NSW.  A passion for writing history was ignited. 
Documenting family and local history ensures that the past is recorded and will not be forgotten.  This remains her passion. 
A love of hiking pilgrim trails and other tracks in various regions around the world provide life balance.