[4] A highly gifted all rounder, Archer's career was cruelly cut short by a serious knee injury in the one-off Test against Pakistan in Karachi in 1956 when he was just 23.

A permanent fixture in the team from his debut against South Africa at Melbourne in 1952–53 until stricken by injury in 1956 Archer was a stylish middle order batsman and robust opening bowler.

After a slow start he excelled on the West Indian tour of 1955, recording 84 in Trinidad, 98 at Bridgetown and a maiden test hundred at Kingston to finish the series with 364 runs at 60.66.

[6][7] Cricket Australia Chairman Creagh O'Connor paid the following tribute "Ron Archer had a brief and very successful Test career which was tragically cut short by an injury of the type that modern sports medicine would today probably have overcome...But while his international playing career was too short, he still devoted an energetic and cheerful lifetime of support to the game that he loved, contributing right up until his final summer.

"[3] On 12 June 1995, Archer was named a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of services to the community, cricket and business.