Arvi Hillar Parbo, the second of four sons to Aado and Hilda (nee Rass), was born on 10th February 1926 in Tallinn, Estonia. His secondary education was interrupted by World War II. When the war ended in 1945, 19 year old Arvi Parbo entered a Displaced Persons Camp and became a refugee in Germany where he finished his secondary education, and in 1946 he enrolled at the Clausthal Mining Academy. After two years, he decided that because opportunities in mining were limited in Germany, he would emigrate.
He arrived in Melbourne in November 1949 and was sent to work in a quarry south of Adelaide. Arvi Parbo enrolled at Adelaide University and completed a degree in Mining Engineering (with First Class Honours) in 1955.
Professor John P. Morgan, from Adelaide University, helped Arvi secure a position with WMC in Western Australia. Arvi Parbo and Saima had met in a refugee camp in Germany, they travelled to Australia separately and did not meet again until a chance encounter in Adelaide years later. They married in Adelaide in 1953. Ellen was born in Adelaide and their two sons, Peeter and Martin, were born at Southern Cross, Western Australia.
In February 1968, Arvi Parbo was appointed General Manager of WMC, Director in September 1970, Managing Director in November 1971 and Chairman and Managing Director in October 1974.
In 1986, after 15 years as Managing Director of WMC, Sir Arvi Parbo relinquished the role, but remained Executive Chairman until December 1990 when he retired as an Executive, but remained Chairman until retirement in 1999.
In August, 1987, Sir Arvi Parbo was appointed a Director of The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited (BHP) and Chairman from May 1989 to May 1992.
Throughout his life, Sir Arvi Parbo was widely engaged in community and business organisations where his personal advice was welcomed and appreciated both in Australia and internationally.
Link to full Memorial Commemoration PDF here.
Watch full program of Memorial Commemoration here.
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