He had no formal education and worked on his family farm growing vegetables and raspberries, which were sold at the market gardens in Taitā.

Strand made a speech to the Ratepayers' Association accusing Rishworth of a 'breach of faith' which was later leaked and published in newspapers.

At the next council meeting Rishworth addressed the matter and challenged Strand to resign along with himself and contest an election for mayor.

Two years later, his successor as mayor, Sir Alex Roberts, also declined to seek another term and Strand was persuaded to stand again, succeeding him unopposed.

[8] In 1949, he made a grant of 150 acres of land in Naenae to the Methodist Board of Trust, on condition for the construction of new houses and required amenities.

[1] He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1957 New Year Honours for his services to local government,[9] the award being presented at his home by the Governor-General as a result of Strand's illness.

[11] Their son, engineer William Charles Strand, was killed is a plane crash in 1931 at the North Clyde railway yards in Wairoa.

[12] The accident occurred while performing a mail drop to the town, which was cut off after damage to roads due to the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.

Strand sued Dominion Airlines for £5000 in damages for his son's death, arguing negligence on the basis that the pilot, Ivan Kight, did not possess the necessary licence required to fly either passengers or goods.