Truckie wins

By Monique Ebrington
The part-time truck driver and farmer makes weekly visits to Yarra Glen Newsagency as part of his routine and he says that will not change even after the win.
Mr Blackburn used winnings from another game to buy Lucky Lines and returned the next day to see how he’d done.
“ … I came in and fed the ticket through the machine and it said your newsagency is unable to pay this out you’ll have to contact Intralot,” John Blackburn said.
Even after a phone call to the company Mr Blackburn was still unaware of the amount he’d won and it wasn’t until he went down to the West Melbourne office that he was notified of his 90,258.70 win.
Keeping it simple Mr Blackburn plans to spend the winnings on a non-slip floor and portable fridge for his partner Pauline’s Yarra Glen florist business and a water tank for his property.
Mr Blackburn says he has no time for Rolexes and new cars and admits that he hasn’t even told his daughters about the win yet.
“I put it in the bank straight away and didn’t even stop for a beer in town,” he said.
Newsagent worker Joe Perri says he’s happy for Mr Blackburn’s win and will never forget his customer’s reaction.
The expression on Mr Blackburn’s face was a mix of shock and disbelief.
“It’s great when a regular customer like this wins such a big prize, it’s a great reward for loyalty,” he said.