We’re celebrating something really special and it's not just 40 years of Saturday Lotto. On Sunday 24 February, Moran's Store celebrated 69 years of selling Lotto in the Coolgardie community.
Meet Patsy from Moran’s store
Patsy is the true definition of a Goldfields local. Born in Kalgoorlie raised in Coolgardie, Patsy followed in her father’s footsteps by working in, and later owning, Moran’s Store in Coolgardie.
Moran’s Store is the oldest established building that is still trading in Australia and has been in the Moran family name for 126 years. It originally opened in 1892 as a general store – it was actually a tent on the site and operated under a Gallon Licence. In 1950, Patsy’s father John Moran became a Lotterywest Retailer. From age nine, Patsy helped her dad in the shop where they sold Lotto tickets to local prospectors and people living in the bush who used to come through town to collect supplies – and charity tickets of course!
Patsy has worked at Moran’s Store for 55 years now, taking a year off to travel the world when she turned 18. Patsy now runs the store with her husband, Rick and a wonderful team of nine.
She has always valued her customers, creating great connections to make sure they are happy with the product and service. As Patsy says: “the customer always comes first.”
On Australia Day 2008, Patsy sold a Saturday Lotto Division 1 ticket worth $660,000! She said that although Saturday Lotto has changed over the years her team still make it a fun day for staff and customers alike.
After 69 years of selling Lotto and Patsy’s 55 years of service, she will handing over the reins and starting her well-deserved retirement in April. We’d like to thank Patsy and her family for their amazing contribution to Lotterywest and the WA community.
From left to right: Rick, Patsy and Marlene (the store’s ‘original Lotto lady’ who retired earlier this year but still pops in to create Lotto syndicates!)
Meet Darren and Vivian from Manjimup Newsagency
Darren is a true Manjimup local, born and raised in the town and has owned the Manjimup Newsagency with his wife Vivian for 20 years!
“Selling Lotto was completely different back then. There were only two games to choose from – Saturday and Thursday Lotto,” Darren said.
He remembers our very first Lotto terminals, the Tiffany terminals, which were introduced in 1986. Although Darren says the Tiffany terminals were “a messy procedure” at times, the computerised system meant retailers could say goodbye to the carbonised, triplicate Lotto coupons which had been used since 1979.
The pair now have a team of six staff, with Saturday Lotto remaining their staple product and a popular choice for customers wanting a safe option associating the game with the original ‘crossed fingers’ trademark.
Meeting customers and working with his team is what he enjoys most about being a retailer. Darren has employed many juniors over the years, including his sons, which allowed him to give back to the Manjimup community.
“The high traffic flow gives them a chance to meet different people, giving them opportunities beyond our business,” he said.
Darren has a wonderful memory about selling a Division One winning ticket to an elderly customer, who was very humble about the win.
“His only issue was that he might lose his pension and accommodation in a retirement village!” he said. Darren believes when the customer passed away, a large part of his winnings went into accommodation for the elderly.
Meet Martin from Coolbellup Newsagency
Martin has owned and operated Coolbellup Newsagency for 32 years. He started working in the family business, while still at high school, and then entered into a partnership with his family in 1986. Martin is now the sole owner and runs the store with Angela, who’s been working at the newsagency for the last 15 years.
“When I started, Lotto coupons had carbon paper and the terminal gave each coupon a number. Customers had to return to the store they purchased their ticket from…where we had a physical printout of winners that we had to check their tickets against,” he said.
Meeting customers and putting a smile on their face is what Martin loves most about his job – he’ll never forget seeing the joy on a customer’s face after telling them they had won $4 million
His most memorable story about Saturday Lotto will leave you speechless – the first Division One winning ticket sold at his store was supposed to be his! He printed himself a Saturday Lotto ticket and left it next to the cash register whilst he got some money to pay for it. In the two minutes he was away, a staff member sold his ticket to a customer – the ticket won $1.2 million!
Although he missed out on this life changing prize, he still has a fondness for Saturday Lotto.
“Saturday Lotto is the game all customers come back to when deciding what to buy, as they have history with the game and have grown up with it.”
Meet Dave and Julie from Eaton Fair Newsagency and Lottery Kiosk
Dave and Julie began their careers in finance and mining, but after the closure of underground mining operations in Collie they decided to enter the newsagency industry. They received some great advice from fellow Lotterywest retailer Peter Reuben who said: “Work hard, for this won’t be a job or your business; it will form and shape who you are and your life.” His words turned true for Dave and Julie, who have run the very successful newsagency and kiosk in Eaton, Bunbury, for 25 years!
Being retailers has allowed Dave and Julie to meet a range of people from different lifestyles, backgrounds and cultures, a rewarding and challenging experience for them both. They both believe that being a Lotterywest retailer has given them the opportunity to build strength and recognition within their community.
The past 25 years
Back in the day, players didn’t have the wide range of games they do today. There was mid-week Lotto, played on a Thursday, and Saturday Lotto. Dave and Julie believe that Saturday Lotto has been “the cornerstone of our business for all these years…continuing to give strength and vibrancy to us dinosaurs of Lotterywest Retailing.”
Their favourite Saturday Lotto story is from 1997, when a regular customer purchased two Slikpik 12 tickets – one for himself, and one as a gift for his mother-in-law. Guess what happened? His mother-in-law won a Division One prize of approximately $400,000! While Dave and Julie had the thrill of selling a Division One winning ticket, the man unfortunately didn’t see a cent from his mother-in-law.
Dave described it as “a bitter sweet occasion, with a lesson to be learned – be kind to your mother-in-law!”
The pair now has a great team of dedicated, hardworking staff who work alongside them to make their business the success it is today. They enjoy giving back to the community, people and organisations that also help support them, building relationships and goodwill around Bunbury.
Thanks to all the amazing Lotterywest retailers, past and present, which have helped make our games great and supported Saturday Lotto for the past 40 years.
