Leslie Joseph Hooker

Sir Leslie Joseph Hooker (born Leslie Joseph Tingyou; 18 August 1903 – 29 April 1976) was an Australian property entrepreneur, businessman and philanthropist. From humble beginnings he created the LJ Hooker empire and was at one time Australia's largest landholder and the world's largest cattle owner. He was knighted in 1973 for services to commerce.

Early life Hooker was born in Canterbury, Sydney, New South Wales. Nellie died at age 25 of tuberculosis, leaving Leslie an orphan at just 8 years of age. He was raised by his extended family and attended public schools in Canterbury and Beecroft. The mostly likely reason he selected "Hooker" was because it was an Anglicised version of his step father's name Hookin. From this beginning LJ Hooker greatly expanded and by 1953 the agency was the largest real estate agency in Australia. In 1963 Hooker House with all the various Hooker enterprises opened in Sydney. Through various companies Hooker's interests expanded to include property investment, new home development, projects, takeovers, finance, trusts, pastoral activities and franchising. When Hooker retired from the company in 1974, the Hooker Group had more than 2300 staff and assets of almost $200 million.

Family life On 23 June 1934, Hooker married Madeline Adella Price. They had three children: Annette Price Hooker, Leslie Ross Hooker, and David Price Hooker. David married Urszula Tomaszewska, and they had two children, Leslie Janusz Hooker and Natalia Hooker. Janusz is Chairman of LJ Hooker, and Natalia wrote a biography of her grandfather, LJ Hooker The Man in 2011.

Philanthropy Hooker was a director and life governor of the Royal New South Wales Institute for Deaf and Blind Children. He was heavily involved in the development of CIDE, now the Shepherd Centre, which assists deaf children. He was on the board of the Sydney Hospital, was Chairman of the Sydney Eye and Ear Hospital Management Committee, and chairman of the first appeal fund for the Foundation for the Research and Treatment of Alcoholism. He was on a committee to raise funds for the Olympic games of 1960, 1964, 1968 and 1972 and a committee to raise funds for the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal. He also supported churches.

Death He died on 29 April 1976 at St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales aged 72.