STRAUCHON, JOHN (1848-1934) was born at Swinton, Berwickshire. His father being factor to the Duke of Portland at Kilmarnock, he was educated at the Academy there and at Pryde's private academy, the Normal School and the School of Arts, all in Edinburgh. He came to Otago with his father and brother by the Pladda (1862) and was employed for a short time on the Otago Daily Times. In 1862 he was appointed to the provincial public works department as timekeeper at Oamaru and later at Hampden. He worked with G. M. Barr and Adam Johnston, and pegged out the telegraph line to the Waitaki. In 1865 he joined the Survey department and, having passed his examinations in 1868, was in the head office in Dunedin until 1870, when he took charge of the Martin's Bay settlement. He was district surveyor in South Otago to 1891, and was then chief surveyor and commissioner of crown lands in Westland (1891), Taranaki (1893), Wellington (1902) and Auckland (1908). In 1909 he became Surveyor-general, in 1910 Under-secretary for Lands and in 1912 also for Immigration, retiring from the service in 1914. (ISO. 1912.) Strauchon was on the recruiting commission (1915-16), the war relief society (1918-20), the native grievances commission (1920), the timber royalties commission (1923), the North Island representation commission, the National Park board, the Egmont reserves board and the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors (president 1919-20). He died on 24 Dec 1934.

Jourdain; Who's Who N.Z., 1932; Cycl. N.Z., vi (p); The Dominion, 27 Dec 1934. Portrait: Lands and Survey Department.

Reference: Volume 2, page 175

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