Thomas Cooper
Our founding father emigrated from Yorkshire to South Australia in 1840. He was a lay preacher and stone-mason by trade, and only discovered his talent for brewing when his wife became ill. Thomas turned to an old family recipe to make her a “tonic” and his first batch of Australian ale was born.
But Thomas’ brew proved such a success that, in 1862, he decided to go into business. He wrote to his brother in England “'We are now engaged in the Brewery business.' As word spread, Thomas found himself producing Sparkling Ale and Extra Stout for a growing crowd of loyal customers. He delivered direct to their homes by horse and cart, a Coopers tradition which survived until the 1920's!
Like Father... Like Sons
Thomas Cooper died in 1897 and left the business to his sons John, Christopher, Samuel and Stanley who continued the family tradition of master brewing. Through the Great Depression of the 1930s and two world wars, successive generations of the family continued to brew bottle- conditioned ales, dark beers and stouts the Coopers way.
New Brewery... Traditional Values
In 2001, Coopers moved to a new state-of-the art brewery in Regency Park, a few miles from the original site in Adelaide’s city centre. The new $45 million site is a fusion of innovation and Coopers brewing tradition. We now produce over 55 million litres of beer a year!
Last of Its Kind
Today, Coopers is Australia's last family owned brewery of stature. We remain fiercely independent and proud of our long-standing brewing heritage. Managing Director, Dr Tim Cooper, still oversees our brewing. Mr Glenn Cooper is Executive Chairman and Marketing Director while Mr Bill Cooper and other family members sit on our board of directors.