How SA man from Burra scooped $50 million Oz Lotto jackpot

A country town in SA’s Mid North is buzzing after one of their own became a multi-millionaire overnight.

A small country town in the state’s Mid North is home to about 1200 people, including Australia’s newest multi-millionaire.

Famous for its rich mining history, Burra is now also the place where the sole winning ticket of Oz Lotto’s $50m jackpot was sold, leaving locals buzzing.

Located some 160 kilometres north of Adelaide and nestled between rolling hills, the streets of Burra are lined with beautiful bluestone and sandstone buildings.

With its rich copper mining history and attractions like the old cottage on Midnight Oil’s Diesel and Dust record, the town is currently fighting for world heritage status.

And for $50 million “you could buy the whole town,” said Ray White Clare Valley real estate agent Mark O’Meagher.

“Your high end properties sell for $600-$700,000, so you could potentially become the whole owner of Burra.

“It’s a really popular, go-to town and with $50 million, in real estate terms, you would have the pick of the whole bunch.”

Long-time Burra resident Sharon Austin said it was great news for the town that she’s called home for the past 30 years.

“I hope the guy who wins has a really lucky life and if he’s in the community, that’s nice,” she said.

“This year we won Tiny Towns, maybe it means we’re lucky.

“Twenty years ago, nobody knew where Burra was, but it’s putting itself on the map for sure.”

If Ms Austin, who volunteers at the town hall, had been the winner, she’d be using the funds to “make (good) things happen.”

“There’s always something you can do, especially in a small, country town like Burra,” she said.

The lucky winner, a man who wishes to remain anonymous, bought the “1608” ticket at Burra Terry White Chemmart.

It was the first time a winning ticket had been sold at the pharmacy, much to the delight of staff

“I remember serving him that day,” pharmacy assistant Natasha Parsons said.

“I was at lunch (yesterday) when I came back, they ushered me over to have a look at the screen and I saw it and was like ‘oh my god’.

“It’s really exciting for the town.”

Ms Parsons never thought the winning ticket would be sold in Burra and said it was “really nice to have (a winner) in a small, country town.”

The Terry White Chemist where the winning ticket was sold. Picture Brett Hartwig

When asked what she would do with the winnings if she had won, Ms Parsons said she’d “definitely help her family” and go travelling.

“Anywhere overseas, Europe, England somewhere along the way would be really nice,” the 22-year-old said.

The winner was “shell-shocked” after a chance check at his entry draw on Tuesday, telling officials his “work days are done”.

Manager Kelly Bray, 45, was the one to break the news to him.

“To be able to tell him that he won was just the most incredible feeling and he was stoked, wasn’t expecting it at all,” she said.

“He couldn’t really talk to be honest (…) he’s a deserving winner, he wants to help his family.

“It’s wonderful for the town, especially this time of year, it’s lovely.

“It’s raised everyone’s hopes that you can win, even in a small place like Burra.”

His win marks SA’s second-biggest after an Adelaide man scooped the $150 million Powerball prize in May, which was also Australia’s biggest sole lottery win.

This year, SA has won 29 out of the 481 division one winning tallies from the Lott so far.

The winning numbers in Oz Lotto draw 1608 on Tuesday were: 1, 29, 20, 23, 34, 46, and 39, with supplementary numbers 42, 43, and 24.