Walter Lindrum

Walter Lindrum was a world champion player of English billiards often referred to as the games greatest player with 57 world records to his credit, many still standing.

Walter Albert Lindrum, OBE was born on 29 August 1898 and died 30 July 1960. Often called Wally, he was one of the Australian all-time great sporting heroes along with Donald Bradman and Hubert Opperman.

By the age of 16, Walter was regularly making breaks of over 1000 during practice at the London Tavern, Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, where Fred Lindrum II was running a three-table billiard parlour. By 1921 Walter Lindrum was defeating his older brother, Fred III, then the Australian Champion.

How good was he?
Walter Lindrum was the World Professional Billiards Champion for 4 consecutive years (1929-1933), and so dominated the sport that they changed the rules in an attempt to curb his dominance. One critic Neville Cardus even referred to Bradman as "the Lindrum of cricket".

In June 1927 in Melbourne he claimed a world speed record when he scored 816 points in 23 minutes in an unfinished break.

He is buried in Melbourne General Cemetery where it remains the most visited grave.