Leslie Hooker Australian real estate agent Date of Birth: 18.08.1903 Country: Australia

Biography of Leslie Hooker

Leslie Joseph Hooker, born Leslie Joseph Tingyou on August 18, 1903, in Canterbury, New South Wales, was an Australian real estate agent. He received his education at Canterbury and Beecroft schools. At the age of 13, Leslie started working for the Japanese import-export company, Mitsui Bussan Kaisha Ltd. He later became an assistant economist in another company trading in the Pacific region.

After returning to Sydney, Leslie attempted to take advantage of the economic boom, but his first venture in the real estate industry failed in the mid-1920s. Leslie changed his surname from "Tingyou" to "Hooker" in February 1925. Three years later, he opened the real estate agency, L. J. Hooker Ltd, in Maroubra, a suburb of Sydney. On June 23, 1934, he married Madeline Adella Price in the Anglican Church of St. Philip.

Despite the challenges of the Great Depression, Hooker's agency began to thrive. By the mid-1930s, he hired his first sales agent and opened an office on O'Connell Street. In 1936, Leslie leased Woods & Co. with offices in Kensington and Kingsford. Two years later, the company headquarters moved to 98 Pitt Street, and in 1939, another office opened in Randwick.

L. J. Hooker Ltd was listed on the Sydney Stock Exchange in July 1947 and became the top real estate company in terms of turnover that year. Leslie perfected the technique of acquiring undervalued companies that still held valuable assets. In 1959-1960, he executed the largest acquisition in corporate history, acquiring firms like City Investments Ltd, G. H. Thomas Pty Ltd, Accommodation Australia Ltd, and Australian Wool Brokers & Produce Co. Ltd. Leslie earned the reputation of being the "largest landowner" in Australia.

However, the credit crisis under Menzies' government in November 1961 affected Hooker's corporation, resulting in its first financial losses in the 1961-1962 season. Many subsidiary companies struggled with using short-term credits to finance long-term obligations. Keith Campbell, a 32-year-old businessman hired by Hooker in 1960, took over as the General Manager in 1962, responsible for the company's financial survival. Unable to raise money locally, Campbell secured support from the United States in 1964, and the company began to generate healthy profits from 1968.

Leslie announced his departure from the company's leadership positions in 1969. He attributed his success to being born with a business-minded brain, being "sharp and relentless," and never believing in failure. Leslie Hooker, an Australian real estate agent, resided in Mosman and was a member of leading Sydney clubs. He served as a director of Sydney Hospital from 1945 to 1964 and was knighted in 1973.

Leslie Hooker passed away on April 29, 1976, at St. Vincent's Hospital and was cremated. Although he was an agnostic, a requiem mass was held at St. Mary's Cathedral, as he was born into Catholicism. The Hooker Corporation was liquidated after the crash in the late 1980s, but his name remains synonymous with real estate development. Obituaries described Leslie as a "champion" in the industry and a "great sales agent." A biography of Leslie Joseph Hooker, written by his granddaughter Natalia Hooker, will be published in late 2010 or early 2011.