An insight into a former Australian diplomat’s world was an engaging experience for Beechworth’s Julie Wiggins at a local library author talk last week.

Canberra-based author Lachlan Strahan delivered an intriguing account of his 30-year career in Australia’s foreign service from the time he joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) until he retired three years ago.

The session was led with a series of questions about his latest book ‘The Curious Diplomat’ by Beechworth Book’s Charles Dean.

“We even had someone in the audience who lives in Beechworth and worked for the American Foreign Service,” Ms Wiggins said.

“Lachlan had so much to say from his experience with an important perspective given right up to what's happening in the world now as well.”

Mr Strahan said among his aims in the book is to show the many different aspects of a diplomat’s life including how the political system works.

“I also give people some insights into different politicians that I worked with who worked hard for the country," he said.

“It's mixture of the professional and the personal as I take people inside the more personal side of the life of a diplomat with how it impacted me as a person and on my family.”

Mr Strahan traces how Australia’s global interests have evolved over the last three decades from North Korea to the halls of the United Nations.

The former diplomat held some of Australia’s key postings including India, Germany, South Korea and Soloman Islands.

Among diplomatic challenges included the search in 2014 when the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared in the Indian Ocean.

“I was then working in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and was one of the senior officials who coordinated the search,” he said.

Mr Strahan said he would recommend being a diplomat to young people thinking about a career in the profession.

“It’s diverse as you are working on such an interesting range of problems and issues, is never dull and are always being challenged," he said.

“You are also working on issues that matter and affects Australia, its citizens, our future and our region.

“It also brings you into the heart of our political system, how we are governed and how we try to shape our future.

“It’s important that we have a diplomatic service which attracts bright, committed young people who are willing to take up that challenge of serving the nation, serving the Australian population, and doing important things that need to be done.”

Mr Strahan said his parents worked on restoring Beechworth’s Powder Magazine in the late 1960s.

The author said with other couples, they bought the London Tavern in 1970 – first brick hotel built in Beechworth with some having remaining connections.

“As a kid from 1970 onwards I spent weeks in Beechworth on school holidays and it feels like home being here,” he said.

Beechworth librarian Julie said Mr Strahan shed a light on an area shrouded in mystery in talking about what happens when being a diplomat.