The family had been in contact with the solicitor who had represented another former Farrer student, David Gregory, who was awarded $469,000 in damages against the Department of Education in June.

Mr Gregory had been bullied while a student at Farrer in the 1990s.

The NSW Department of Education and Training was also ordered to pay his future medical, counselling and legal costs.

Craig Strachan told The Leader last year of the regret the family felt over failing to remove Jeremy from the school.

He said Jeremy had only started to come to terms with the abuse he received at Farrer since the compensation action launched by Mr Gregory became public.

Mr Strachan said the decision to go public about his son’s bullying had been made in consultation with Jeremy – who had been undergoing regular counselling, wrestling with depression and was on medication – and his mother Karen.

“I do this with regret,” Craig Strachan said at the time. (Jeremy) was subjected to some very gross, crass and criminal activities at

Farrer.”

After leaving Farrer Jeremy joined the Australian Defence Force and undertook a tour of duty in East Timor.