W.J. Hooper

John Baker Hooper commenced manufacturing aerated waters and cordials near the corner of  West & Darling Streets in the early 1870s.  Following his death in 1878, his wife Jane Elizabeth Hooper carried on the family aerated water manufacturer for some years. Sometime between 1883 and 1889 John and Jane's son William James Hooper became the business principal. From this time, the soft drink factory was simply referred to as W. J. Hooper - Darling Street. The factory was variously described as being in both West and Darling Streets. William's brother  J. H. Hooper also manufactured cordials and soft drinks at his own facility in South Street. Production of cordials and soft drinks was indeed a family concern. As his father had done previously, W. J. Hooper entered his products in agricultural shows and in 1905 a silver medal was won at the Sydney Easter show.

At the close of the 19th century Hooper obtained sole rights to produce two new summer drinks: Aerated Horehound and Hop Ale.

The cordial factory suffered some damage when it was submerged by floodwaters in 1893. In both 1906 and 1926 the factory was lucky to escape fire damage. 

A new factory was completed in 1914 in West Street. The firm continued to manufacture soft drinks for several more years until W. J. Hooper advertised the factory for sale or lease in February 1925. His furnished house in West Street was also offered for rent. It is not clear whether Frederick McMahon rented Hooper's house or another that he owned in West Street but it is clear that Fred rented one of his properties and a couple of years after Hooper's death (1931), McMahon purchased that property  and another from the deceased  estate. At the same time as those properties in 1934, the cordial factory on the corner of West & Darling Streets was offered for sale and  that same year the first McMahon's soft drinks were produced.  McMahon's became an Ipswich icon located on property bounded by West, Darling and Martin Streets.

In 1926 Busby & Sons, bottle & jar merchants were next door to W. J. Hooper being located at the corner of West & Darling Streets.