STRACHAN, James Charles Power
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Captain |
| Last Unit: | Medical Officers |
| Born: | North Adelaide, South Australia, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | North Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | St Peter's College and University of Adelaide , South Australia |
| Occupation: | Medical Practitioner |
| Died: | Creswick, Victoria, Australia, 1959, cause of death not yet discovered, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Adelaide St John's Anglican Church Memorial Tablet, Adelaide University of Adelaide WW1 Honour Roll, Hackney St Peter's College Honour Board, North Adelaide Queens School Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Apr 1915: | Involvement Captain, Medical Officers, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Lincoln embarkation_ship_number: A17 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr 1915: | Embarked Captain, Medical Officers, HMAT Port Lincoln, Adelaide |
Biography
Published Biography
Blood Sweat and Fears: Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australian who Served in World War 1, C Verco, A Summers, T Swain & M Jelly. July 2014
Additional Biography
Early Life
James Charles Power Strachan was born on the 19th of November 1889, the son of Roland Strachan and Edith Maud Tuckett, at North Adelaide.
Schooling
James attended Queen’s School, North Adelaide from at least 1901 to 1905. His name mainly appeared in the newspapers of the time for his athletic efforts at the Queen’s School Sports and he won the 120 yards hurdles in 1905. While still at Queen’s School, James passed the Arts and Science Examination in Intermediate Solid Geometry.
In 1906, James began attending St Peter’s College, Adelaide. In December 1906, he was awarded the second Bowman (Science) scholarship. He completed his Higher Public Examinations in 1908.
On arrival at the school, he immediately had an impact on the College’s athletics team. He came third in the mile and second in the 440 yards flat handicap at the St Peter’s Sports in 1906 and later that year he won the mile at the Inter-Collegiate Sports against Prince Alfred College. He won the mile at both sports contests in 1907 and 1908, completing the mile at the Inter-Collegiate Sports in a record 4 minutes 58.25 seconds.
In 1908, James was second in the St Peter’s College Cup. James also competed in SA Amateur Athletics competitions from 1908. In a list comparing the School Boy One Mile Champions at ‘Great Public Schools’ in England and Australia, James was ranked fourth best after Arnold (NSW), Garrod (Eng) and Fleming (Vic). James’ Inter-Collegiate One Mile record was not broken until 1928.
James was a member of the Cadets from 1906-08 and was appointed a Lieutenant on probation in May 1908.
Adelaide University
James commenced studying medicine at Adelaide University in 1909 and gained his MB BS in 1914.
University Sport
Cricket
James played cricket for the Adelaide University B Grade in the 1911/12 and 1912/13 seasons.
Tennis
James competed in the 1910 Adelaide University tennis tournament and played in the 1911 Inter-Varsity Tennis championships in Melbourne in 1911.
Athletics
James competed in the Adelaide University Sports from 1909-1914. He was third in the University Cup in 1909 having placed in both the high jump and broad jump and was selected for the 1909 Inter-Varsity team.
James continued to compete in the Old Scholars events at the Inter-Collegiate Sports during his University days.
In 1910 James represented the University at both the Athletics and Tennis Inter-Varsity competitions. He came second in the ½ mile at the School of Mines Sports in June 1910.
At the 1911 Inter-Varsity, James came second in the ½ mile and second in the High Jump. He was awarded a Blue for Athletics that year. In the University Cup he came second having placed second in the 440 yards flat and the high jump.
In 1912 James won the ½ mile event at the Inter-Varsity, held in Melbourne.
James was on the committee which organised the 1912 University Sports and he was one of the handicappers for the event. He may have been injured prior to or during the event as for the first time since he came to University he was not listed in the place getters.
In 1913, James attended the Inter-varsity in Sydney. The newspaper article announcing the team tells us that James had been Secretary of the University Athletic Club. James had a good reputation at middle distances and came second in the ½ mile.
James competed in the SA Amateur Athletics Association five-mile cross country championships in 1913 and in the Relay event at the Y.M.C.A Harriers’ Club competition in September 1913. He won the half-mile event at the SA Amateur Athletics Association meet in October 1913 in record time which held up for eight years.
Adelaide won the Inter-Varsity Sports in 1914 at Adelaide University Oval, with James contributing points for winning the half-mile. James was a member of the committee who organised the Inter-varsity.
World War I
On the 4th of March 1915, James enlisted in the Australian Army Medical Corps. His WWI story is well documented in the ‘Blood, Sweat and Fears’ biography above. James is also mentioned in two further books ‘Australian Doctors on the Western Front’ and ‘Gallipoli Doctors: The Australian Doctors at War Series Volume 1’ both by Robert Likeman,CSM
While in the UK on war service, James married Margery Tapp of Bath, the daughter of Arthur E.C. Tapp and Flora Helen Rose (née Palmer). The couple’s eldest child, a son (David), was born on the 25th of June 1919 at Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. James, Margery and David returned to Australia in November 1919.
Career and Family Life
After a short time in Adelaide, James purchased the practice of Dr T.A. Wilson at Creswick, Victoria (8 kilometres north of Ballarat) in July 1920 and he was appointed health officer for Creswick. James played cricket as Creswick. They lived at ‘Glencairn’, Cambridge St, Creswick until at least 1949.
James and Margery’s second son, Michael John Strachan, was born at Mrs Surridge’s private hospital, Creswick on the 21st of December 1921 and their first daughter Veronica Mary Helen Strachan was born in the same hospital on the 26th of December 1923. Their second daughter, Margery Ann, (known as Ann – her date of birth has not yet been discovered).
Sadly, for the family, James’ father Roland Strachan passed away in Victoria on the 19th of September 1925 and his mother had passed away by July 1932. James donated a shadowless lamp for the operating theatre to the Creswick Hospital in memory of his mother.
By 1933, James was playing tennis at Creswick and in 1938 he was president of the Creswick tennis club.
In 1936, Margery took their elder son, David aged 16 on a trip to the UK.
In August 1937, James attended a reunion for WWI doctors at was held in Adelaide.
World War II
James enlisted as a Major in the AAMC on the 28th of May 1940 (SN V84314). His WWII Service Record is listed at the National Archives of Australia under the name of James Charles Pamer Strachan. His WWII record was not open to the public (at time of writing the document), however James was given a farewell from Creswick which suggests that he at least served away from his district, if not overseas.
James' WWII record is available at
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=6258713
A note on the file stated that he did not report for duty.
Post WWII
James and Margery’s son Michael John Strachan also became a Doctor. He was working in Kuwait, Persian Gulf, from August 1948. He became engaged to Pamela Mary Reid, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Reid of St Ann’s, Mount Lofty in December 1949. Pamela flew to Kuwait in March 1949 and the couple were married there. They visited Australia in September/October 1951. Michael and Pamela were back in Adelaide in 1952 with their son, David and were living at Lockleys, SA. They then returned to Kuwait in early January 1953.
In April 1952, James sold his practice to Dr M.G.W. Ingram. James laid the foundation stone for the Creswick RSL Memorial Hall on the 4th of October 1952.
James and Margery’s second daughter, Ann completed her nurses’ training at Royal Melbourne Hospital in November 1952. She became engaged to John Neil Barter, the son of Mr. John Barter of Highett and Mrs. Mary Barter of Sandringham in March 1953.
By 1954 James and Margery were living at Hall St, Creswick.
Death
James Charles Power Strachan passed away in August 1959 at Creswick. His funeral notice was published in ‘The Age’, Melbourne on the 28th of August 1959.
David Edgar Strachan was a well-known Australian artist; he died as a result of a car accident on the 23rd of November 1970, aged 51. His biography (see document) after the list of sources for this profile. Appendix 1
Margery (Eleanor Margery Isabel) Strachan passed away at Creswick in 1982, she was 88 years of age. Margery had been still living in the family home at 100 Hall St, Creswick in 1980.
Dr Michael John Strachan died in Adelaide on the 14th of November 1990 aged 69.
Veronica Mary Helen Strachan died on the 4th of September 2002, aged 69 at Canberra, ACT.
Author EE (Beth) Filmer
For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project (in the period 2015-2019) please see the document attached.
Submitted 17 June 2025 by Eleanor Filmer
Biography contributed by Annette Summers
STRACHAN James Charles Power MB BS
1889-1959
James Charles Power Strachan was born on 10th November 1889 in North Adelaide, the second son of a merchant, Roland Strachan, and his wife Edith Maud, nee Tuckett. He was educated at St Peter’s College and served in the school cadets from 1906 to 1908, rising to the rank of 2nd lieutenant, before entering the University of Adelaide where he studied medicine. He graduated in 1914.
Strachan applied for a commission in the AIF on the 3rd March 1915. He was 25 years, single, 6ft tall, weighed 160lbs, and his father, of 172 Childers St, North Adelaide, was his next of kin. Strachan was sent to Egypt with reinforcements for 1 AGH, but immediately on arrival transferred to B Section of 7 FdAmb. He went to Gallipoli in September, where his unit relieved 4 FdAmb at Walden Grove. He spent some weeks detached to 1 LHFA. He was evacuated to Egypt in November with influenza but rejoined 7 FdAmb at the beginning of December. After several brief attachments to infantry Bns, he went to France with 7 FdAmb in March 1916. During the early stages of the Somme offensive, Strachan was briefly attached to 3 ACCS, but in August he was posted as RMO of 26 Bn. He was with the Bn through the series of unsuccessful attacks on Mouquet Farm. A month later he was evacuated with trench fever. He returned to the Bn in October as it moved back to the Somme from Ypres, and in time for the Battle of Flers and the attack on The Maze in November. Strachan again fell ill in Jan 1917, this time with mumps. After a variety of short term postings in the rear echelons, he was promoted major and posted to 16 FdAmb in 6 Div. After the losses of Bullecourt and Messines, the formation of 6 Div was abandoned, and Strachan was sent to 14 FdAmb which had lost three officers during the attacks on Polygon Wood. He remained with the unit until after the successful capture of Villers-Bretonneux on April 25th 1918. He was then recalled to England and posted to 1 ADH at Bulford on the Salisbury Plain, where he married Eleanor Marjory Isabel Tapp from Bath, Somerset in June 1918. Strachan obtained leave to attend a course at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin after the Armistice. His appointment in the AIF was terminated at the 4th MD on the 13th February 1920. He was issued with the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Strachan’s older brother Captain William Leighton Strachan (6 Bn), aged 27 years, was killed on Bolton’s Ridge on the 25th April 1915, a short time after the landing at Anzac Cove.
Strachan returned to Australia in October 1919 with his wife and first child, David Edgar who had been born in Salisbury in June. The family moved to Creswick, Victoria in 1920, where he set up practice. Strachan and his wife featured many times in the social pages of the newspaper. James Charles Power Strachan died in Creswick in 1959. He was survived by his wife and son. Strachan’s son David Strachan, a celebrated Australian painter, was killed in a car accident in 1970.
Source
Blood, Sweat and Fears: Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australia, who Served in World War 1.
Verco, Summers, Swain, Jelly. Open Books Howden, Adelaide 2014.
Uploaded by Annette Summers AO RFD
Click images to start slideshow.