When The Lott called to say she held the only Division One entry in Powerball Australia draw 1587, the woman from Ballina thought it had to be a prank. The call was real. Drawn on Thursday 15 October 2026, that entry made her the sole national winner of the entire A$100 million jackpot — and, by The Lott's count, equal-third among the biggest individual lottery winners in Australian history.
The call that turned out to be real
She is staying anonymous, and the operator's account keeps the picture simple: a Northern Rivers resident, a single ticket, and a jackpot that landed with one person rather than being split across the country. What stayed with her first was not the number but a memory. She put the win down to a late family member, telling The Lott she had felt signs of their presence all day — the kind of small, ordinary moments a grieving family notices — before the result came through.
Her reaction, once it sank in, was plain and grounded. The money, she told The Lott, would reach past herself: "This will help a lot of people. Not just me but lots of family members." Then came the simpler, more immediate relief, in its own breath: "I'll be able to pay off my mortgage!"
What's worth knowing here is how little of it was strategy. A result like this — the entire A$100 million landing on one Division One entry — is a genuine long shot. Powerball Australia draws are random and independent, and no habit, system, or "due" number brings one any closer. One entry happened to match on one Thursday night, and the win attaches to a single draw page rather than to anything the winner did differently from thousands of others.
The story resists tidy endings, and that is part of why it stays with you. A sudden A$100 million does not arrive as a plan fulfilled; it arrives as a phone call she almost did not believe, tangled up with the memory of someone she had lost. You can read the full results for Powerball Australia draw 1587, or see how the game sets its divisions on the Powerball Australia game hub.
In Australia, lottery winnings are tax-free — they are not treated as assessable income — so a Division One prize is paid in full, though what happens to money after a win is a question for a licensed financial adviser rather than a lottery page.
Play for fun, within a budget you set in advance. If gambling is no longer fun, free and confidential support is available 24/7 from Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858.
Always confirm winning numbers, prize amounts, and deadlines with the official operator before acting on a ticket — the operator's published results are the only ones that count.
Sources
- The Lott — 15 October 2026 — "It's a sign from them": Ballina woman attributes heavenly $100 million Powerball win to late family member
- The Lott — 16 October 2026 — In case you missed it: Ballina woman wins $100M Powerball jackpot
