The locality was originally called Cowper's Plains. It was probably named by Patrick Logan after Dr Henry Cowper, Assistant Surgeon-in-Charge at the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement from 1823 to 1832. A convict settlement was established at Cowper's Plains in 1828. The name was corrupted and by 1860 the area was known as Cooper's Plains. By 1877 it was known as Coopers Plains. The first post office opened in 1876. In October 1884, 275 allotments of "Flemington Estate" were advertised for sale by T. Howling& Co. A map advertising the sale states that the estate was close to the Coopers Plains Railway Station and that coaches passed the estate every day. In August 1885, 160 subdivided allotments of "The Orange Grove Estate" were advertised to be auctioned by G. T. Bell in conjunction with A. Lucas & Co. A map advertising the auction shows the proximity of the estate to Coopers Plains Railway Station and Salisbury Railway Station. The allotments were advertised as high and dry and free from gullies with permanent spring water, convenient to rail and road and close to proximity to schools and the post office. In April 1886, 119 allotments of "The Homebush Estate" were advertised to be auctioned by G. T. Bell. A map advertising the auction states that the estate was adjoining the Coopers Plains Railway Station and illustrates the location of lagoons and permanent water sources within the estate. In December 1922, 6 blocks of land of "Market Garden Estate" were advertised for private sale by Isles, Love & Co. Ltd. A map advertising the sale describes each block as 4 to 5 acres in size with splendid brown and black alluvial loam and abundantly watered by a permanent creek. Orange Grove State Schoolopened on 27 June 1931. In 1965 it was renamed Coopers Plains State School.> Coopers Plains remained rural until the 1940s. The United States Army built a barracks adjacent to the railway station 1942, which after the war became the Australian Army's Damour Barracks. The Coopers Plains Library opened in 1979 with a major refurbishment in 2014. In the, Coopers Plains had a population of 5,483 people.
Transport
on the South Coast railway line opened in 1885. There are several bus routes running through Coopers Plains – 120, 135, 123, 598 and 599, 124 and 125. Coopers Plains is also in very close proximity to the Griffith University Nathan Campus.
Education
Coopers Plains State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at 61 Orange Grove Road. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 184 students with 18 teachers and 13 non-teaching staff.
In the 2011 census the population of Coopers Plains was 4,208, 49% female and 51% male. The median age of the Coopers Plains population was 34 years of age, three years below the Australian median. 57% of people living in Coopers Plains were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 69.8%. The other top responses for country of birth were India 6.2%, China 5.3%, New Zealand 2.9%, Philippines 2.2%, England 2.1%. 61.9% of people spoke only English at home; the next most popular languages were 6% Mandarin, 3.2% Cantonese, 2% Vietnamese, 1.6% Hindi, 1.3% Punjabi. The most popular religious affiliation was "no religion", followed by Catholic and Anglican.
