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Story: Billiards, snooker, pool and darts

Billiards in a public billiards room

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Billiards in a public billiards room

This game of billiards is taking place in a public billiards room, probably in the late 19th century. Public billiards rooms were sometimes located in hotels or could be stand-alone enterprises. In the 19th and early 20th centuries there was a keen interest in billiards, with considerable press coverage of the games of professionals and well-known amateur players. Billiards was also very much a spectator sport, especially when bets were placed in the games.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Tesla Studios Collection (PAColl-3046)

Reference: 1/1-016661-G

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Peter Clayworth, Billiards, snooker, pool and darts – Billiards and its history, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/38480/billiards-in-a-public-billiards-room (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Peter Clayworth, published 3 December 2012.