A Queanbeyan woman became Australia's only division one Powerball ticket holder on Thursday, May 28, landing the full $60 million jackpot and lifting her total prize to $60.6 million.
She had changed her numbers at the last minute, a move that turned a routine ticket into the Powerball jackpot winner that everyone was hunting for after the draw. Her entry also scored division two 19 times, adding to a windfall that few lottery players ever come close to imagining.
Powerball officials reached her by phone to tell her what had happened. The New South Wales woman from Queanbeyan said she was watching the women's State of Origin when the call came through, and she was still trying to take in that she had beaten every other entry in the country.
Her reaction sounded more grounded than glamorous. She described herself as an everyday worker paying off a mortgage and struggling with the cost of living, then said she would keep working for now. Even with $60.6 million in the account, she said her first thought was to share the money with family and make sure everyone was comfortable.
That is the part of the win that sets it apart from the usual lottery story. The prize is huge, but the winner is not planning an instant retreat from ordinary life, at least not yet, and she has not said how she will claim or manage the money beyond looking after the people closest to her. For now, the biggest change is already settled: one ticket from Queanbeyan took the entire Powerball jackpot, and the woman who bought it is still heading back to work.
