Sir Walter Jackson Cooper, MBE (23 April 1888 – 22 July 1973) was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Queensland for over 36 years.

In 1913, he was awarded a certificate of merit by the Royal Humane Society of Australasia for his role in rescuing swimmers from dangerous surf at Southport in December 1912.

[1] In 1914, via the land ballot system, Cooper purchased a grazing property of 28,000 acres (11,000 ha) in remote Central West Queensland, adjoining Llanrheidol Station in the locality of Middleton.

[2] After transferring to France in June 1916, Cooper was badly wounded in the right leg at the Battle of Mouquet Farm on 10 August 1916.

Cooper was moved to England where his condition deteriorated, and his leg was amputated at the 3rd London General Hospital in Wandsworth a month later.

He subsequently took an eight-month course in textile industries at the University of Leeds as part of the AIF's repatriation program, before returning to Australia in 1920.

[3] He was elected in place of Australian Labor Party (ALP) senator John MacDonald, who had filled the casual vacancy caused by the death of Thomas Givens.

[4] He proved to be an "active backbencher", speaking frequently on agricultural matters and the interests of rural residents and returned soldiers.

[1] In 1931, Cooper received severe injuries to his face and left arm in a motor vehicle accident when he crashed his car into a stationary truck in the Brisbane suburb of Cannon Hill.