Year

2015

Degree Name

Doctor of Creative Arts

Department

Faculty of Law, Humanities, and the Arts

Abstract

I am the eldest daughter of world professional snooker and Australian professional billiards and snooker champion Horace Lindrum. During his fiftyyear sporting career, Horace Lindrum was continuously in the spotlight. I argue, since my father’s death in 1974, his life and achievements have been misrepresented. This dissertation, which is a creative and critical exploration of Horace Lindrum’s sporting achievements in the field of billiards and snooker, aims to restore his reputation as one of Australia’s most significant sporting pioneers. The project also examines the ways in which nations tell stories by highlighting the vexed treatment of family stories within wider national narratives.

Part One, The Uncrowned King, is a family memoir which captures the essence of Horace Lindrum’s life and sporting achievements. As the author and Horace Lindrum’s daughter, I balance the responsibilities between historian, memoirist and family member, positing as I do so the question: How can an author remove herself from behind a father’s shadow?

Part Two, the exegesis, Family, Nation, Sport: Writing The Uncrowned King, explores the ways in which biography, family history and sport connect in wider national discourse. It aims to contextualise Horace Lindrum’s achievements within broader social and political currents. In the exegesis I also examine the challenges of writing a family memoir.

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Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong.