“Natalia Hooker, the granddaughter of Sir Leslie J. Hooker, has written a biography of her famous ancestor who founded a real estate empire in Australia.  Living in Europe didn’t stop the sister of the current owner – Janusz Hooker, who bought the company back into family hands for $67 million in 2009- from coming to Australia for two months of each year of her research that stretched over six years.”  See More

Radio Interview with Kevin TurnerBroadcast on 4BC: Sat 12 March 2011. 

“The story of the man behind the LJ Hooker real estate chain has been written by his granddaughter, Natalia Hooker.  While most Australians are familiar with the group and its “nobody does it better” slogan, very few know the man behind its foundation was actually Leslie Joseph “LJ” Tingyou.”  See More

“In these multicultural times it is hard to appreciate the pressure the White Australia policy put on young people of mixed race to cover up their background.  A book published this month tells the amazing and poignant story of one of the best known names in Australia real estate, Leslie Joseph Hooker, founder of the LJ Hooker empire, one of the largest property companies in Australia at the height of the 80s boom.”  See More

“His name is known across the country, but until recently the true story of LJ Hooker’s early life was unknown, even to his own family.  Now, after five years of research, writing and production, Natalia Hooker has published a lavish biography as a tribute to her famous grandfather.  The book, LJ Hooker the Man: The Untold Story of an Australian Icon, is particularly interesting for what it reveals about LJ Hooker’s Chinese roots….”  See More

“He was a part-Chinese orphan struggling against the White Australia policy during the 1920s.  Leslie Joseph Tingyou changed his surname to Hooker in 1925 and most would now, almost 20 years after his death, link his name to one of the most recognised real estate companies in Australia.”  See More

“Looking up from my writing, I smiled at the black and white photograph in front of me.  It was like Grandpa was encouraging me to tell his story.  Thousands of Australians know of the real-estate agency LJ Hooker.  But not so many Australians know about the Back-seat heroes man behind it.  And neither did I, until I started researching.”  See More