A life story with courage and grit

THE life of inspirational Ipswich businessman Jeff Cooper was officially recognised at the launch of his biography, The House That Jeff Built, on Wednesday night.

“I'm excited. It is not every day you get to launch your life story,” Mr Cooper said.

Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the mid-1990s, he continues to remain actively involved in growing the family business, which includes interests in property, shopping centres, caravan parks, motels, industrial estates and residential developments.

Leaving behind a scarred childhood at 15 to be a PMG technician, Mr Cooper's entrepreneurial talents were evident at an early age when he started crocodile trading at 16.

This was closely followed by the acquisition of four houses, three laundromats and several hundred Space Invader machines by the time he was aged 22.

By the time he was 30, he had acquired his first caravan park, a shopping centre development and completed several terms as a Moreton Shire councillor.

The book's author, former Bendigo Bank executive John Goddard, has been friends with Mr Cooper for close to a decade and said the story was a remarkable one of courage, determination and grit.

“It is gob-smacking what he has achieved,” Mr Goddard said.

“It is amazing how Jeff has handled adversity with gritty determination.

“It is quite an amazing story.”

Funds raised from book sales will be donated to the University of Queensland's Centre for Clinical Research, which is researching treatment for Parkinson's disease.