Walter Lindrum - Billiards Champion

Billiards Champion

During the mid-1920s Walter Lindrum's standard of play was without effective competition in Australia, with many players refusing to play against him. As a result, exhibition matches were often organised, especially with New Zealand Billiard Champion Clark McConachy. Lindrum published his instructional book, Billiards, in 1924. It was revised and reprinted in 1938 as Billiards and Snooker, "proceeds from the sale going to the Lindrum War Drive", his World War II fundraising effort, in later printings.

It was not until 1929 that Willie Smith, World Champion in 1920 and 1923, and one of the best English billiards players of the time, visited Australia and played three fairly even matches against Lindrum. With both players being one match up, Lindrum was forced to abandon the third game midway through, upon the imminent death of his girlfriend. While technically the match was a forfeit, Smith refused to accept the trophy and insisted it be awarded to Lindrum.

Smith, McConarchy and Lindrum departed Australia in September 1929 for a tour of England. Between 1929 and 1933 Lindrum dominated the English billiards scene. Often he would start conceding up to 7000 points to his opponents. Lindrum and his main rivals, McConarchy, Smith, Joe Davis (World Champion 1928–1932) and Tom Newman (World Champion 1921–1922, 1924–1927), were called in the press "the big five".

On Lindrum's second tour of England, in late 1930, Donald Bradman and other members of the touring Australian cricket team, would sometimes attend Lindrum's matches at Thurston Hall, London. As an indication of the esteem in which Lindrum was held, the critic Neville Cardus referred to Bradman as "the Lindrum of cricket".

On 19 February 1931, Lindrum gave a billiards exhibition for the King and other members of the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace. King George V presented Lindrum with a pair of gold and enamel cuff links bearing the royal monogram. These formed part of Lindrum's essential attire for the remainder of his playing career, and he wore them daily for the rest of his life.

His record break of 4,137 was made in a match he lost against Joe Davis at Thurston Hall on 19 January 1932. However, this precipitated a change in the rules of the game. A 1932 tour of the United States and Canada by several players, including Lindrum, proved a disaster, with disappointing attendances and financial losses by the players.

Lindrum won the World Professional Billiards Championship in 1933 and 1934, and held it until his retirement in 1950.

After the debacle of the 1932 North American tour and his winning of the 1933 World Championship, Lindrum argued that he should be allowed to defend his title in Australia. The 1934 match was organised to coincide with the Melbourne centenary celebrations in September 1934. His challengers were the New Zealand Champion, Clark McConachy, and United Kingdom Champion, Joe Davis, with Davis finishing runner-up. Lindrum won this title, but in subsequent years the title became dormant for lack of challengers, until Lindrum relinquished it upon retirement. The title of World Professional Billiards Champion next passed to McConarchy in 1951 who held it until 1968, when he was defeated by Rex Williams.

While some, including his nephew Horace, made the criticism that Lindrum's play was somewhat mechanical and lacked style, rival and six-time World Champion Tom Newman wrote: "It is the greatest injustice you can do to Walter to call him a scoring machine. Nothing could be more unlike him. He is showing you everything the beautiful game can show."

During the Second World War, Lindrum performed about 4,000 exhibition games, raising over £500,000 for the war effort (including revenues from sales of his book). Over his lifetime he raised more than £2 million for charity. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1951, and an Officer of the order (OBE) in the 1958 honours list.