Walter Lindrum's Billiard Table Memorial

October 05, 2026

One of Australia's most unusual sporting monuments takes the form of a granite billiard table, complete with a cue and billiard balls.

The memorial honours Walter Albert Lindrum OBE (1898-1960), widely regarded as the greatest billiards player in history. Born in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, on 29 August 1898, Lindrum came from a famous billiards family and began playing professionally as a teenager.

Throughout his remarkable career, Lindrum dominated English billiards like no player before or since. He won the World Professional Billiards Championship in 1933, successfully defended the title, and remained recognised as world champion until his retirement in 1950.
A master of precision and control, Lindrum set more than fifty-five world records during his career. His most famous achievements included a world-record break of 4,137 points in London in 1932 and numerous record match aggregates that astonished audiences around the world. Many of his scoring records stood for decades and some remain legendary in the sport today.

Away from competition, Lindrum became one of Australia's most respected sporting ambassadors. During the Second World War, he travelled extensively throughout Australia, conducting thousands of exhibitions matches and helping raise more than £1 million for wartime charities and patriotic causes.

Lindrum died at Surfers Paradise, Queensland, on 30 July 1960, aged sixty-one. He was buried at Melbourne General Cemetery, where his unique billiard-table memorial continues to attract visitors from across Australia and overseas.

Among thousands of traditional monuments, the striking memorial immediately captures attention and remains one of Melbourne General Cemetery's most photographed graves. The design is a fitting tribute to a sporting legend whose achievements transformed the game of billiards and secured his place among Australia's greatest athletes.