Background
Strahan was born in Fryerstown, Victoria on 2 July 1886.
Strahan was born in Fryerstown, Victoria on 2 July 1886.
Between 1935 and 1949, he was Secretary of the Prime Minister"s Department. In November 1935, Strahan was appointed Secretary of the Prime Minister"s Department. In 1941 when the Department of External Territories was established (it was previously an office in the Prime Minister"s Department), Strahan was named its Secretary.
Strahan served in dual roles at the head of the Territories Department and the Prime Minister"s Department until 1944, when J.R. Halligan was appointed to head the Department of External Territories.
Strahan retired in August 1949. He died on 4 May 1976 in Camberwell, and his body was cremated.
In the role, he became the first member of the Commonwealth Public Service to attend Cabinet when he attended a meeting of the Third Menzies Ministry in July 1941.