A north-west Queensland community has become home to a new millionaire after a mystery Lotto player scored more than $3.3 million over the New Year's weekend.
The winning ticket was purchased from a Julia Creek newsagency, with the lucky entrant coming forward 10 days after the prize was drawn.
Representatives from The Lott say that how the winner plans to enjoy their prize will forever remain a mystery after electing to remain anonymous.
A mystery solved
Queenslanders had been urged to check any lotto ticket they might have purchased as the search for the winner lasted 10 days.
"We're in the business of paying prizes, so we're always keen to unite winners with their windfalls," The Lott spokesperson Matt Hart said.
"As people delve into the new year and are tidying up around the home, office or car, we encourage people to keep an eye out for unchecked lottery tickets."
Julia Creek News owner Ellen Warner said the local community was abuzz.
"This is by far the largest win in our 38 years of ownership. Certainly people in town are all asking each other," she said.
"Given this time of the year, so much of our population is away or on holidays … maybe it was a local who went on holidays ..."
Mr Hart said winners in Queensland had seven years to claim their prizes.
"We've certainly had people come forward months and even years after the draw."
It seemed north-west Queensland was the land of the lucky these holidays after an Instant Scratch-It ticket purchased in Cloncurry saw a Townsville mother score $10,000 for Christmas.
"It was Christmas Day, and I was waiting for lunch to cook in the oven when I scratched it. It was a bit surreal. No other present quite compared to that," she said.
