A down-to-earth Hervey Bay dad has admitted he nearly fell over from shock when he checked his Oz Lotto entry at home last night and discovered he was the region’s mystery $30 million winner. The newly-retired man confessed he’d completely forgotten about his 6-game QuickPick entry until he saw news reports the $30 million Oz Lotto jackpot remained unclaimed. 

“It’s awesome!” the man laughed when a Golden Casket official confirmed his multi-million dollar prize. 

“We watched the news last night and it said something about the winner was still to come through.  Then I went into the bedroom to check my ticket and I nearly fell over when I saw the all the winning numbers! 

“I was just shaking and cuddling everyone.  I couldn’t believe it. 

“I haven’t slept at all to be honest! “I’d heard there had been a win in Hervey Bay but it just didn’t register – I’d forgotten about my ticket. 

“I’m a regular player – I just always get the small tickets. I don’t think of myself as a lucky person – I’ve just had tiny wins now and then.  I’ve turned it around now!” 

But while he may be Australia’s newest multi-millionaire, the happy winner said he wanted to remain grounded and focus on using the whopping windfall to help his family and enjoy his retirement. 

“First we’re going to pay off the children’s mortgages and then we’re going to go travelling around Australia,” he said. 

“Travelling is something we’ve always wanted to do and now we can.”  

With his bank account soon to grow by $30 million, the flabbergasted winner isn’t sure how he will celebrate his good fortune today. 

“I’m just letting it all sink in now,” he said. 

“I’m over the moon!” 

The Hervey Bay entry was the only division one winning entry in Oz Lotto draw 1229 on Tuesday 5 September 2017, which offered a jackpot of $30 million – the fifth biggest Australian lottery jackpot so far this year. 

The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, purchased his winning 6-game QuickPick from Nextra Fraser Gateway Newsagency, Shop 22-23, Stockland Shopping Centre, Urraween, has sold a division one winning entry. 

Nextra Fraser Gateway Newsagency owner Chris McKechnie said the outlet was excited the winner had been united with their prize. 

“I think it’s lovely. It’s a life-changing prize!” she said. 

“Yesterday was really busy – everyone wanted to check and see if it was them. 

“With that mystery solved, we’re ready to do it again.  It’s $30 million in the Powerball next Thursday so let’s see if we can have another winner in Hervey Bay."

Tuesday night’s Oz Lotto win is the second division one win to land in Hervey Bay during the past week.  A Hervey Bay retiree won $1.6 million in the weekend’s Saturday Gold Lotto $20 Million Superdraw. Hervey Bay also holds the record for having Australia’s single biggest individual lotto win – in 2016, Hervey Bay grandparents won $70 million in Powerball. 

Golden Casket reminds players of the importance of registering their entries to a Winners Circle Card so all of their prizes are secure and they can be contacted directly with the good news of a big win. 

The winning numbers in Oz Lotto’s $30 million draw 1229 on Tuesday 5 September 2017 were 16, 45, 4, 35, 8, 28 and 27. The supplementary numbers were 22 and 34. 

Last financial year, 18 Oz Lotto winning entries across the Lott’s jurisdictions won more than $182 million.  The Lott’s division one winning tally has now reached 298 so far this calendar year, including 78 won by Golden Casket customers.