Looking back at October 23, 1952
A lottery win by three Lysaghts employees was front page news in 1952.
Bill Bolt, Doug Howson and Bob Mettam had been buying lottery tickets together for the past two years before their 100th came up a winner.
They netted the second prize of 1000 pounds, which works out to around $41,000 in today's money.
One of Mr Bolt's friends gave him a call to tell him the ticket had won but they were sceptical until they rang the lottery office to confirm their good fortune.
The win was the first that had come to a Lysaghts employee since two electricians won third prize earlier in 1952.
As an aside, it was obviously a simpler time because the Mercury chose to publish the streets and suburbs where the three men lived.
So if someone was short of cash and needed to know who had come into some money, they just had to go to certain streets in Thirroul, Austinmer and Wollongong.
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Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
