Arch McKirdy facts for kids

Arch McKirdy (born 17 March 1924 – died 26 August 2013) was a famous Australian radio presenter. He was also a voice coach and a leader in broadcasting. He was best known for his evening jazz music show called Relax with Me. This show was super popular in Australia during the 1960s and early 1970s.

Arch McKirdy's Early Life and Start in Radio

Archibald William McKirdy was born in Swan Hill, Victoria, in 1924. His dad, also named Archibald, ran country dances and encouraged young Arch to play the drums and guitar.

When he was 17, in 1941, Arch tried out for a job as a cadet announcer at a radio station called 3TR in Sale, Victoria.

Soon after, World War II began. Arch worked briefly at another radio station, 3SH, in his hometown of Swan Hill. Then, he joined the army. He became part of the army's entertainment group. He traveled around the South Pacific, performing for Australian soldiers fighting in the war. During his time in the army, he met some of Australia's best jazz musicians.

Relax with Me - A Popular Jazz Show

After the war, Arch McKirdy studied music. He worked at 3TR again for a while before moving to Sydney. In the late 1950s, he started working at radio station 2UW. By 1963, he was hosting evening shows like Starlight with Arch McKirdy and later Relax with Arch McKirdy on radio station 2GB. His jazz music program, Relax with Me, was also on 2SM.

In 1964, a broadcasting executive named Clement Semmler convinced Arch to move his jazz show to the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). For many years, Arch McKirdy presented his smooth and calm jazz program. He would play music from famous artists like Benny Golson, Oscar Peterson, and Charlie Parker. At the start of every show, he would invite his listeners to "relax with me."

From 1962, Arch also worked on children's television. He was the main host, known as "Uncle Mac," on ATN-7's Captain Fortune Show. He also had a similar role on the show that followed it, The Land of Make Believe.

During this time, he also helped promote jazz concerts. These concerts featured talented Australian musicians like Don Burrows and Judy Bailey.

In December 1972, when he was 48, Arch McKirdy left Relax with Me. He took on a bigger job at the ABC as the Director of Radio Presentation. His jazz program continued under a new name, Music to Midnight, with different presenters.

Arch McKirdy's Role in ABC Management

In his new management job, Arch McKirdy became a voice teacher and a guide for many ABC presenters. He helped famous people like Norman Swan, Margaret Throsby, Geraldine Doogue, and Fran Kelly. He taught them how to speak clearly and naturally. He showed them how to talk to their audience as if they were speaking to a personal friend.

In 1978, he was given an extra job. He became the Managing Director of the ABC-FM radio networks. This included being the director of the new ABC-FM station in Adelaide.

Later Career and Training Others

In the early 2000s, Arch McKirdy worked with the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). He trained their presenters from different backgrounds to speak more naturally. He also helped video journalists learn to speak to viewers as if they were right there on location. He did similar training at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.

Arch McKirdy's Legacy and Impact

People often called Arch McKirdy a "magnificent jazz compere" and a "smart and well-informed jazz broadcaster." A magazine called Jazz Notes said he had "no trouble persuading hundreds of thousands to 'Relax with Me'." In 1972, his program had the largest radio audience in Australia. About 400,000 Australians listened to it at least once a week. It was also Australia's longest-running radio show with a single personality. Margaret Throsby remembered that "Arch's program was a regular thing: at 10 o'clock at night everyone would start listening to Relax with Me."

Writer and comedian John Doyle said that Arch always sounded warm and knowledgeable. He was a master of radio, making listeners feel comfortable. He knew his subject well and seemed to put his own ego aside.

Arch McKirdy, along with Clement Semmler and a few others, worked hard to make sure jazz music had a place on the ABC in the 1960s and 1970s. Before them, the ABC's leaders had mostly ignored jazz.

Personal Life

Arch McKirdy was married twice. With his first wife, Frances, he had three sons: Grant, Mark, and John. With his second wife, Margaret, he had a daughter named Megan. One of his grandsons, Lewis McKirdy, also became a broadcaster at the ABC radio station Triple J. Lewis now lives in the United Kingdom.

Arch McKirdy passed away on 26 August 2013, at the age of 89.

• Michael Dodd, Great Answers to Tough Questions at Work, Capstone, 2016.
• K. S. Inglis and Jan Brazier, This is the ABC: The Australian Broadcasting Commission, 1932-1983, Melbourne University Press, 1983.
• James Murdoch, A Handbook of Australian Music, Melbourne: Sun Books, 1983.