The Decades

THE EIGHTIES

In a decade that was so full of promise, the property market hit its straps to kickstart the 1980s. With the country under the leadership of Malcolm Fraser, a young man from Melbourne took a chance, developed some important relationships, and went on to successfully launch a company that had the art of building wealth at its core.

1981

John Leonard Fitzgerald starts JLF Corporation at the age of 18. • First building built (Aston Lodge).

• Second building built (Nobby’s Court).

1985

First Commercial Development Slacks Creek, Brisbane.

1982

Property Week Update was launched.

1984

John meets Nev Pask during a land deal in Southeast Queensland.

1986

Partnered with Gold Coast high-rise developer, Dainford.

1988

• First Kimberley Forest lots are released.

• JLF buys eight-storey building - Tradewinds

Apartments, Coffs

Harbour.

1987

• Kimberley Forest, Shailer Park 1,250 master planned community is purchased.

• First joint venture with Dainford. • Southport Office opens and

JLF launches the Broadbeach

Housing project.

1989

Toogoolawa Schools Limited is registered by John with Ron and Suwanti Farmers’ help.

THE NINETIES

Marked by the effects of the economic and social revolutions of the preceding 20 years, Australia experienced a big change in technology and saw John Howard and Paul Keating lead the country. For JLF it was a period of growth and a decade of milestones.

1990

JLF opens its first of seven daycares (Rocking Horse).

1991

Toogoolawa Charity is registered.

1996

Custodian House was built at Nerang.

1992 1994 1997

JLF builds The Oaks Estate. The Custodian Wealth Builders program was established. • CWB offices open in

Sydney and Melbourne

First Custodian House and Land Package delivered in Oaks Estate

• Value - $151,000, 600m² lot, rental $150 per week

• 2021: Value - $750,000, 600m² lot, rental $525 per week. • Toogoolawa School opens in Pimpama.

JLF begins Pimpama Rivers 1250 lot Masterplan Community.

1998

John wrote his book ‘7 Steps to Wealth’ and appeared on Australian Story.

Australia Sports Medal for Polo.

1999

• Investloan is launched with finance brokers and mortgage managers who specialise in residential investment property loans.

• JLF Commenced two estates

• 300 lots in Algester

• 300 Lots in Bunker Road, VIC Point (Woodlands).

THE NOUGHTIES

The Sydney Olympics kickstarted the new millennium in fine fashion, paving the way for Australia’s centenary of Federation celebrations (2001). September 11 cast a horrific shadow over the world and despite the Global Financial Crisis that triggered an international recession toward the end of the decade, JLF continued to forge ahead.

2000

• Dora McBain is named Chief Financial Officer.

• Success from Scratch

Manual & CD launch and TV.

• Olympic Torch Relay (John carried torch).

2003

First Custodian Property Delivered in Perth (Canning Vale) . • 2003: Value - $238,000, lot size 650m², rental $240 per week

• 2021: Value - $650,000, lot size 650m², rental $650 per week.

2005

• 96 lots are settled in Western Australia.

• Toogoolawa Hastings opens.

2001

• We Can be Heroes book launched.

• Custodian Construction department is outsourced to Paul Thynne.

2006

JLF celebrates 25 years.

First Custodian Property Delivered in Melbourne.

• 2006: Value - $340,000, lot size 576m², rental $310 per week

PRANA CENTRE

Handing in th

2007- John Fitzgerald receives the keys to Prana Centre

John Fitzgerald and Scott Hutchinson.

2007

Hutchinson Builders started construction on one of the largest office spaces on the Gold Coast, the Prana Centre at Nerang.

13

2008

• First Custodian magazine is published.

• Team undertakes Tour De Force bike challenge tour for Toogoolawa.

2007 2009

Kostya Tszyu, Jason McCartney and Gregory David Roberts attend the JLF Client Conference as special guests.

Mountain bike challenge of Tanzania tour for Toogoolawa.

THE TEENS

Jobs recovery and growth set the tone for a decade that was defined by technology advances and turmoil. Australia experienced one of the biggest jobs booms since WWII and, as it has done for more than 30 years, JLF Group broke new ground nationally and internationally.

2010

Ngahihi O Te Ra Bidois is the keynote speaker at JLF’s three-day client conference of 200 people.

2013

First trip to China, John lectured at the prestigious university in China (Tsinghua University).

2014

• First sale in China takes place in September.

• Searched for partners in China and conducted first seminar (March).

• Toogoolawa receives a government grant for extension.

2011

• JLF breaks into the Sydney market for the first time.

• John’s mentor George Margolas (far right) helps JLF celebrate 30 years.

• First Custodian Property

Delivered in Sydney. • 2011: Value - $395,000 lot size 375m², rental $480 per week

• 2021: Value - $960,000 lot size 375m², rental $650 per week.

THE LAST 15 YEARS...

Returning to work at a “mainstream” school will never be an option for Toogoolawa School principal Gerry Moloney. “I actually used to refer children there from the school I was at. I liked what they did and saw they were having some success.

2017

Approval for Largest Waterfront Urban Development Gold Coast, Clear Island Waters 1,550 Apartments, 25ha.

Mr Moloney has been principal at the school since 2006, guiding the way for young boys who have been kicked out of mainstream education.

That many of those boys, who without Toogoolawa may have ended up unemployed, homeless or in jail, have gone on to lead successful lives is what drives Mr Moloney to continue the work which started when John Fitzgerald teamed up with psychologists Ron and Suwanti to open the school.

“I was a deputy principal at another school when I first heard about Toogoolawa,” Mr Moloney said. HUMBLE BEGINNINGS 2018

“Some of the teachers in mainstream schools are pretty quick to give up on challenging kids. It can be difficult when you have 25 or 30 kids in a class and one or two of them take up 90 per cent of your time.”

After 30 years of teaching Mr Moloney was on leave thinking about what he would like to do next when the opportunity to join Toogoolawa at Ormeau came up.

“I just wanted to do something different,” he said, “I thought there must be something more to teaching.”

Fortuitously, while on leave Mr Moloney saw a job at Toogoolawa school extension completed, the school advertised in the paper he was reading and he decided to apply. allowing the school to double its student intake. “Back then it was just an old Queenslander which had been done up to be used as a schoolhouse, it was similar to the sort of home I grew up in,” Mr Moloney said.

“When I first started, I think there were three kids there, although it was set up to accommodate 12, the numbers ebbed and flowed. Now we have about 120 boys.” I just wanted to do something different. I thought there must be something more to teaching.

The Toogoolawa model is unique to the school and has been designed to revolve around the five universal Human Values of Truth, Love, Peace, Right Conduct and Non-violence.

About a third of the boys who have spent time at Toogoolawa integrate back into mainstream schooling while others do traineeships or TAFE courses. About 85 per cent of the students go to work or further study.

The school facilities have also grown quite substantially in the past few years, financially assisted as always John Fitzgerald, and with a State Government grant.

“The old Queenslander building has been refurbished and we now have other buildings for classrooms,” Mr Moloney said.

While the facilities and number of boys may have changed in recent years one thing that hasn’t is the philosophy, which Mr Moloney said is why he can’t imagine ever working anywhere else.

“Our philosophy is Educare, which means you take care of the heart before you take care of the head, it’s all about character building,” he said.

6

2015

• JLF sets up office in Guangzhou in partnership with Fineland in 2015.

• JLF spreads its wings, taking a trip to China (August).

2020

COVID-19 restrictions prompt JLF to embrace webinars and online education.