By 1860 Mintaro was South Australia's leading producer of high quality slate. Mintaro slate was exhibited at the 1862 London International Exhibitions where it received the highest awards for large slab size and excellent flatness. In 1910, the slate was described as some of the finest stone to be got in any part of the world. Among its many uses and qualities, the perfectly flat slate surface makes it ideal for billiard and pool tables. Walter Lindrum, the Australian billiard player who was the world champion from 1932 to 1950, praised the quality of Mintaro slate claiming it was equal to anything he had played on. He later practiced at his Melbourne home on a table made from a single slab of slate from Mintaro. Australian tennis player, Lleyton Hewitt, installed single slab three-quarter-sized tables also made from Mintaro Slate in his Adelaide house and Melbourne apartment.