A hardworking farmer burst into tears on the phone after learning her family's lives had just changed forever by winning a lotto prize worth $12 million. Australian battlers Leonie and Andrew have spent most of their lives on their central Queensland cane farm, navigating droughts, floods and rising costs, often working until 2am to keep their livelihood going.
The couple took over the business from Andrew's father, who built the farm from scratch after moving from Italy with nothing. Last month, Leonie bought a $50 ticket book in the latest Dream Home Art Union lottery draw, where proceeds support Australian veterans and their families through RSL Queensland.
She was drawn as the first prize winner of a $12 million property portfolio, consisting of three waterfront properties and including $1 million in gold bullion. When Dream Home Art Union lotteries general manager Ben Sawkins recently contacted her about the life-changing windfall, a dubious Leonie was out in the field working and reluctant to take the call.
'I'm great but guess what, now is not a good time,' she told him. 'I'm in the middle of feeding 300 herds of cattle and I've got my granddaughter in the tractor, so no, unfortunately.'
Mr Sawkins told Leonie that she had won a substantial prize but needed five minutes of her time to verify some details, adding that it would be a life-changing call. 'We're not here to waste your time. You've obviously got cows to feed and your granddaughter on the farm,' he assured her.
Leonie replied, 'How about we leave it for later, because right now I'm under the pump.' When Mr Sawkins called back later that afternoon, Leonie was still in the tractor with her husband. She explained they were in the middle of putting in their crops for the year and still had another two days to go.
She was initially told she had won $50,000 in gold. 'Wow! That's exciting. It will pay for all my overtime and give my husband a break,' a stunned Leonie replied. 'He works so hard.'
Leonie was shocked to learn what they had actually won - a multimillion-dollar portfolio that included properties on the Gold Coast, in Sydney's Potts Point, and Victoria's Mornington Peninsula. The prize also included more than $616,151 worth of designer furniture and appliances, rates, water, and body corporate fees covered for the first year, and an $8,000 travel voucher.
'I don't believe it. We work so hard, my husband and I, until 2.30 am for the last 14 days, trying to get our crop in the ground,' an emotional Leonie said. 'Honestly, he is the hardest-working husband in the world. $50,000 would have been a treat! Are you sure? What a beautiful thing to happen.'
Andrew was just as stunned by the massive windfall. 'We live in the bush and have a beautiful property, but this is just mind-blowing,' he said. There was no time to celebrate, with the couple indicating they would be straight back at work after the call. 'We have to finish the job we started,' Leonie said.
The first thing they hope to do is carry out repairs that had always been pushed aside for more important expenses, including a much-needed bathroom renovation - which currently does not have a bath. 'We'll go for a little holiday first, especially after working so hard,' Leonie said. 'We usually have one or two days away - it might be a little longer this time. So many people will benefit from it, that's for sure.'
More tears were shed when the couple recently travelled down to the Gold Coast to check out one of their new properties, a $4.1 million beachside luxury apartment, where they opened up about running a farm, where work always comes first. 'Our home has always been the last on the list because we've always have to build everything up within in the business and the farm,' Leonie said. 'The tiles are about to fall off in my bathroom at home. I don't know if we're going home!'
Her husband added: 'We all live under a lot of pressure in farming so to be able to decompress, it felt the lid has come off. We're forever grateful.'
