What would Living in the Seventies have been like without Shirl…?

29 August 2026

25 years after the death of Graeme “Shirley” Strachan we remember the larrikin Aussie rock star.

There was something unmistakably Melbourne about Shirl. Born in Malvern in 1952, Strachan grew up around the city’s eastern suburbs and, before rock stardom arrived, worked as a carpenter and lived the kind of surf-loving, footy-following life that would remain part of his character. The nickname “Shirley” came from his teenage surfing mates and stuck for the rest of his life.

Graeme’s big break came with Skyhooks. The flamboyant Melbourne band already had plenty of attitude, but when Strachan took over as lead singer in 1974, the combination was explosive. With Greg Macainsh’s sharply observed songs about suburban Australia, Red Symons’ outrageous guitar work and Strachan’s distinctive voice and stage presence, Skyhooks suddenly seemed to be speaking directly to a generation of Australian teenagers. Their debut album, Living in the 70s, became a phenomenon in 1975, while songs such as Horror Movie, Living in the 70s and Ego Is Not a Dirty Word became part of the Australian musical landscape.

Strachan wasn’t simply the frontman. He became the face of Skyhooks; a colourful, cheeky and thoroughly Australian character who was perfectly suited to the emerging television era of Countdown. Yet by the late 1970s, the lure of rock stardom was beginning to wear off. He also pursued a solo career, scoring a sizeable hit in 1976 with his version of Every Little Bit Hurts. In June 1978, he left Skyhooks, choosing to move towards television and radio rather than remain on the rock’n’roll treadmill.

From the YouTube channel: ‘peter green’. BaG is not responsible for the upload of this audio/video to YouTube or its content.

What followed was almost another career altogether. Shirl became a familiar television personality, most famously hosting the children’s program Shirl’s Neighbourhood. Later, his practical skills as a carpenter found a new outlet on the Nine Network’s home-renovation program Our House. He also moved to Queensland and became a popular Brisbane breakfast radio presenter on Triple M during the 1990s.

Then, on 29 August 2001, came the tragedy that stunned Australia. Strachan, aged just 49, was learning to fly helicopters, having already been an experienced fixed-wing pilot. He was on a solo training flight near Mount Archer, north-west of Brisbane, when his Bell 47G encountered severe mountain-wave turbulence. Investigators concluded that the helicopter’s main rotor may have struck and severed the tailboom, causing the aircraft to crash on the mountainside.

Fittingly, an episode of the ABC’s Long Way to the Top featuring Skyhooks was broadcast on the very day he died. A memorial concert followed at Melbourne’s Palais Theatre, bringing together former Skyhooks members and guest singers to celebrate the irrepressible “Shirl”.

25 years later, Strachan remains one of those distinctly Australian characters who seem impossible to replace. He was a rock star, television host, radio personality, carpenter, surfer and larrikin. But above all, he was simply Shirl.

Also on Bang a Gong: Sally Boyden sang about Shirley Strachan’s wedding on Countdown

A fun Shirl moment:
Skyhooks archivist Peter Green posted this cheeky moment from Shirl on YouTube last year. Green said of the unearthed audio recording: “Never before heard, Skyhooks in the studio in America in 1976. The band is rehearsing I’m Normal for their 3rd album Straight In A Gay Gay World. The Producer is Ross Wilson. Big thank you to Mark Goulding for working his magic on the sound.”
At the 2:28 mark you will hear Shirl messing around with Wilson: