Meet a Prize Home winner

Ever wondered what it would be like to win a house of your dreams?

Meet our Mater Prize Home lottery No. 274 winner and read their incredible story below.

Christmas is always an exciting time of year, but for Nathan and Kirsty of St George, December 2017 is one which will go down in family history.

In early December, Nathan had a phone call from the Mater Foundation lotteries team, and he made the decision to purchase a few extra tickets. As a Mater Prize Home lottery VIP, he receives his tickets automatically each month. However, he also likes to purchase additional tickets and give extra support when he can.

Little did he know—just two weeks later, one of those extra tickets would make him the newest Mater millionaire…

On the afternoon of Thursday 21 December, the winner of Mater Prize Home lottery No. 274—a $1.8 million home on Bribie Island—was drawn.

As a busy self-employed painter, a few calls went unanswered on Nathan’s mobile.

It wasn’t until later in the day, when a Mater Prize Home social media post had sparked the interest of St Georgians, Nathan and wife Kirsty checked their tickets. In a town of fewer than 3000, it’s no wonder the residents tracked down the winner quickly.

“We opened the email to check the tickets, and kept reading over and over them, going—yes that’s the first ticket, and that’s the last one—the winning ticket is in the middle… I cried” said Kirsty.

Their three children also couldn’t believe the news, and their reactions ranged from disbelief to happy giggles. But their youngest had predicted it all along.

“Our youngest son, Bailey, especially loved this home. He was adamant we were going to win it, so we held onto the brochure for longer than usual. He cried when I threw it away,” Kirsty said.

They all spent an excited night trying to sleep, and called the Mater Foundation office first thing the next morning.

“We had a group of people around at our house the next morning when we made the phone call. We still couldn’t believe it,” Nathan said.

Fast forward two weeks, and the family of five made the seven hour drive to their brand new home on Bribie Island to collect their keys.

“It still doesn’t feel real,” said Kirsty in the kitchen of their new home. “It feels like we are in a really fancy B&B where there is no check out time.”

“We had planned to take the kids to Sydney to visit family in the school holidays, but we’re spending them here now,” she said.

When asked what their favourite part was—they loved it all.

“We had a look through the virtual tour online, and picked our rooms before we arrived,” said eldest son Samuel, 14. “At home we share rooms, so it’s cool we all get our own room here. We all wanted the room with the walk in robe—especially my sister Grace!”

“We’ve always wanted a pool too, so we will be spending lots of time in this one,” he said.

The family have a strong connection to Mater, and it is a cause they like to support.

“I signed up as a Mater VIP outside my local grocery store. It’s a wonderful cause, and support is needed to continue with research,” said Nathan.

Kirsty is also a Mater baby herself and their niece was born and cared for in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit when she was born prematurely.

“Our son has had an operation there, and so has our uncle,” Kirsty said.

Nathan and Kirsty give a lot of time to their local community, so it’s a well-deserved windfall for the family.

When asked what their plans for the future were, the couple weren’t looking too far ahead.

“I’m fourth generation St George, and the kids are fifth generation—we love it there. We will enjoy this prize home for now. There’s no rush to make any big decisions.”

Congratulations Nathan and Kirsty!

Will you be our next winner?

For your chance to win a dream home with Mater Prize Home lottery check out our latest Prize Home and purchase your tickets TODAY!