| Leslie Joseph Hooker | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 August 1903 Canterbury, New South Wales |
| Died | 29 April 1976 (aged 72) |
| Occupation | Businessperson Real estate agent |
Sir Leslie Joseph Hooker (18 August 1903 – 29 April 1976) (born Leslie Joseph Tingyou) was an Australian real estate agent who established the firm L. J. Hooker. Born of Chinese Australian parents in the Sydney suburb of Canterbury, his surname was originally Tingyou but he changed it to Hooker by deed poll in 1925.[1]
After an earlier failed real estate venture, he established L. J. Hooker in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra in 1928. After surviving the Great Depression, his business thrived and he began purchasing other real estate businesses. By the time he retired in 1969, it was one of the biggest real restate firms in the country.
In the Queen's Birthday Honours of June 1973, Leslie Hooker was knighted for services to commerce.[2] He died in April 1976, aged 72.
A biography is being written by Natalia Hooker, his granddaughter, and is due to be released late 2010 or early 2011.[3]