[1] With the coming of World War II he moved briefly to radio station 3SH in Swan Hill for several months and then joined the army.

[1] After the war McKirdy completed a music appreciation course and then, after another period at 3TR in Sale,[3] moved to Sydney where he was employed by radio station 2UW in the late 1950s (at least from 1956 until 1960).

[7] For many years McKirdy would present his smooth, mellow and low key blend of jazz standards and guide listeners through such greats as "Benny Golson or Oscar Peterson or Charlie Parker".

[1] In December 1972 McKirdy, at the age of 48, ended his association with Relax with Me and accepted a promotion to a management role with the ABC, namely Director of Radio Presentation.

[25] For writer and comedian John Doyle, delivering the 2005 Andrew Olle Media Lecture, "Arch always struck a warm yet authoritative tone.

"[8] McKirdy, along with Semmler, Eric Child, Kym Bonython and a few others, successfully fought for a place for jazz music on the ABC in the 1960s and 1970s, which hitherto had been largely ignored by the national broadcaster's senior management.