George Gray: Billiards Player

1893- 1970

George Gray

My Father by Eric Gray

He was known as, "The Phenomenal Boy Billiardist," and, "The Red Ball Marvel." He was also known as, "Gentleman George Gray." My father had quite a sense of humour. One evening he was challenged to 100 up by a person who didn't know who he was. Dad declined, but to little avail especially when the gent reckoned he was scared to have a go. Dad set the balls up and the challenger broke. The game was over in two visits to the table. Looking at the challenger who was still not satisfied, Dad said, "I'll play you another hundred up, and I'll give 98 start, and for two quid you won't get a shot." This was accepted and his opponent didn't get a shot for Dad played first and miscued which gave the challenger his two points and the game was over. The challenger wanted yet another game and also a big start. Dad sad, "Sorry, no start, I haven't seen you play."

My Father was born in Albert Park in Melbourne in 1893. There were three girls and four boys and Dad was the youngest. His father, Harry Gray, originally came from Scotland and settled in Melbourne. He became Australian Billiards Champion and ran a billiards saloon in the city. When Dad was still at school it was arranged that he should go to stay with relatives in Scotland to study electrical engineering but he broke his arm. Travelling to Scotland was clearly out of the question and George spent a lot of time in his father's billiards saloon. Watching George hit the balls, his father asked him if he would like to learn the game properly. Dad said that he would and the rest is something of a revelation in the history of the sport. When Dad was eleven years of age he already had a wide reputation, and at the age of 16 he made a break of 836 against Fred Lindrum. When he was only nineteen George beat the champion., Harry Stevenson, twice out of three level. It was after this that he joined Stevenson on a tour of Africa and India. My father was not just a red ball player. He could play any phase of the game including nursery cannons. At an exhibition match in Japan before the Emperor he compiled a break of 10,000 and played the house out. He travelled the world seven times and met many wonderful people playing in England. Europe, India, China, The U.S.A., and Japan. During his professional career he made a series of 23 breaks of 1000 or more in 1911 in England and these were from the red ball alone. Playing against Cecil Harverson in London he scored 2196 off the red, and in one match he compiled five breaks over the thousand and one of 1944 from the red ball. Many players tried to copy him but they could not come anywhere near his standard.

I recently spent some time with Eddie Charlton who said that he thought George Gray had never received the recognition that he deserved. Andrew Rickets, writer of the Walter Lindrum biography, has referred to a book by Vin Giuliano who writes fond memories of when he played Dad in an exhibition match in Ballarat (Victoria) from which the proceeds, like from so many other exhibitions, went to charity.

In 1933 and '34, the Far East scene did not look the best. Many people were leaving and others were hoping things would blow over and decided to stay, later they were interned. Dad decided that a change of scenery back to Australia would be in our best interests, and so we came back to Melbourne. We never went back. Our Mukden home was lost to the Japanese, as was our property in Newchang, and a home at a beach resort called Petabo, all this was finished. Dad and his family were in Melbourne and had to start afresh. We left Melbourne and travelled North. Dad was giving exhibitions all the way up until we arrived in Cairns where we stayed for a year. We then came down to Townsville arriving here in 1936 where he ran a billiards saloon in Flinders street. Later he moved to another place in Stokes Street. In 1942 through the influence of a friend of Dad's, a man called Jack Lane, we moved to West Point and established a guest house called. "The Grays." These were good years and I can still remember many happy evenings at West Point. A crowd of people would come from Picnic Bay by truck, have supper, and then ask Dad to show them a few tricks on the table. He used to amaze them, the old charm and skill came back as if he had never left off.

Later, the family purchased an old private hospital which was turned into a large boarding house for young gentlemen and called "The Rocks." He spent many years there and the billiard table was brought from the the, "Point," so that Dad could spend time doing what he enjoyed most. "The Rocks." is still used as a boarding house. George Gray passed away on the morning of March 26th. 1970. This was two days before his birthday when he would have been 77. And so he died at the same age as his father, Harry Gray. This was a great loss to my mother who had really been the mainstay of the family. I can remember my father saying, "don't upset yourself when these things happen. I've had a good life, experience. We don't live forever. The main thing is to be fair dinkum. "e was a good father and a good friend and I don't think anyone who knew him would be embarrassed to say, "George Gray, we loved you."

Levi on Gray

Riso Levi saw George Gray play and writes about him in his, "Billiards in the Twentieth century." Levi wrote, "I confess to a feeling of disappointment when I open my paper in the morning and find that George Gray's biggest break on the preceding day was only a mere 700 or 800." Levi writes of Gray's method and how the Australian made no less than 23 breaks over the thousand in the 1911 season. He writes of how his 2196 unfinished against Harverson might have been many more as he was still in perfect position when he reached game. Levi describes how Gray played for three hours in practice without missing a stroke whilst taking a short holiday in Blackpool. Although there were a number of witnesses to this break and who fielded out for Gray, no-one actually counted. Levi writes that he had carefully timed Gray on several occasions and found that his invariable time on the red ball was eight minutes per hundred. Taking into account the fact that he had a fielder at each pocket, Levi estimated this practice break to have been no less than 2400 - unfinished! On January 28th, 1911, playing in Cardiff, Gray scored 289 consecutive centre pocket strokes. Levi recounts how he watched Gray at his regular 11.00 until 1.00 morning practice, and describes how the Australian always started with 20 minutes of one-ball striking over the spots.

It is generally believed that George Gray suffered from a nervous breakdown and lost much of his ability, and that this was due to his continually watching the red ball running up and down the middle of the table. Levi pours scorn on this supposition though he does say that he always thought that the Australian seemed rather frail. Mr Eric Gray's piece puts a rather different view and shows another side altogether of the great player. And he was indeed a great player.