Dromana Powerball frenzy: $80 million fortune for lucky local couple
A week on from the Powerball draw that changed a Dromana couple’s lives, the small beachside community is buzzing about who they are – and what they’ll do with the money
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On the streets of Dromana there is only one thing on everyone’s minds and it isn’t coronavirus.
Someone in the Mornington Peninsula community is a staggering $80 million richer after claiming last week’s Powerball prize – the highest in Victorian history and the third biggest lottery win in Australia.
The community is still in the dark who the winners are, beyond the few details released by Tatts, that the winners were a local middle aged couple who had plans to buy a new home and who were determined to stay grounded.
Nick Pane said it was a “ridiculous amount of money, it’s life changing.”
“It would be great if something was given back to the community and just walked in to one of these places who are struggling with half a million dollars.”
Mr Pane said that would “solve a lot of problems”.
“I think it would have been better if there was about 40 winners who all won $2 million each and spread it around like that.”
His wife Angela Pane said parts of the town were looking a bit tired. “There are a few places that have closed and it just looks a bit sad and unloved in some places.”
Friends Mystic Bobridge and Paige Raven said people had been talking about the win.
“The news of it has definitely been circulating – it’s a lot of money, especially for these times,” Ms Bobridge said.
“I’d love to see who it is, but I can see why they want to be quiet about it.”
“You just can’t imagine it. There’s so much you could do, your life has changed,” Ms Raven said.
Leanne Talbot, a shop assistant at Dromana Authorised Newsagency that sold the winning numbers, said it wasn’t the first time the store had sold a winner.
“It’s probably been about six years since we had a first division winner and that was around a million dollars.”
Ms Talbot was able to tell that customer the good news – but the $80 million winners claimed their prize by calling head office and not coming in person.
“If they’re locals they probably have been in before and around town, we all sort of know each other and have spoken or seen each other before.”
Almost everyone could agree on one thing – secrecy would be key to making a successful transition from an ordinary life to one of the super wealthy.
Scott Elks, owner of wine and tapas bar Two Buoys, said the win was great for the town.
“You can’t begrudge someone that, it is just life changing.”
He wasn’t aware of any names emerging as likely winners and thought anonymity was crucial.
“Otherwise you will have everyone knocking on your door.”
There had been speculation the winner was a visitor sheltering from the pandemic, so to know it was going to someone who lived in the are was an added bonus.
Real estate agent Linda Wooley is selling a $1.3 million home at present, which was the most expensive property she currently had.
“There are certainly more expensive properties around,” she said, but with an amazing view of the beach and the water “that’s what you are paying for definitely, the position and location.”