Strahan was born on 21 September 1869, the son of James Strahan and Susannah née Straghan, and grew up on the farm and family orchard in Toodyay. In 1895 he purchased the orchard from his father. Strahan married Ruth Ellen Monger at St Stephen's Anglican Church, Toodyay on 25 April 1894. They had ten children: Olive Myrtle, Herbert Elwell, William James, Ruth Eileen, Eric Forrest, Gordon Phillip, Byron Henry, Margaret Esther, Stephen Monger and Kelvin John. Strahan served on the Toodyay Road Board and was a member of the Deepdale Fruitgrowers Association. Strahan was noted for arguing his position to his own benefit but he would concede when there was benefit to the wider community. It was this character which not only made Strahan well respected in the community but also saw him become one of the first people to enlist for the First World War. Strahan's son, Herbert Elwell, also fought in France with the 39th Battalion, First Australian Imperial Force in World War I.
Military service
Around 1900 Strahan joined the Guildford Rifles and later the Australian Light Horse, where he rose to the rank of sergeant major. At the outbreak of World War I he resigned to enlist in the Australian Army. He was the 199th person to enlist in the Australian Imperial Forces. He joined the 16th Battalion "A" company on 14 September 1914 and on 1 October 1914 was promoted to sergeant. The initial training period of two months took place at Blackboy Hill in Western Australia. The army then decided that the 4th Brigade, which was made up of the 11th and 16th Battalions, was to assemble at Broadmeadows, in Victoria, to complete its organisation and training before embarkation overseas. In November, therefore, all ranks were given leave and Strahan went back to Toodyay to visit family and friends. While there he was given an official send off by the Toodyay Road Board. On 21 November 1914, the battalion entrained for Fremantle and embarked in two parties on SS Indarra and, which arrived at Port Melbourne about a week later. Each party was then transported to Broadmeadows. On 22 December 1914 Strahan, along with the 16th Battalion, embarked on Troopship A40 Ceramic for Albany, Western Australia. They reached Albany on 28 December. No shore leave was granted. At 8am on 31 December the Ceramic sailed from King George Sound in the second convoy of troops to leave Albany and arrived a month later in Egypt. After further training in Egypt the 16th Battalion was part of the initial landings at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. Strahan was shot by a sniper and killed on that first day. He is memorialised at Lone Pine Cemetery at Gallipoli.
''The Bugle Call''
On 4 September 1914, prior to departing for Blackboy Hill and joining the AIF, Strahan wrote The Bugle Call. After his death the lyrics were published in various papers. Major General Sir Harry Barron, the Governor of Western Australia, sent a copy of the lyrics to the King, eliciting the response "Evidently the writer by his gallant deeds acted up not to the letter only, but to the spirit of his utterances". ;Chorus
