Centre court had been desperately seeking a new home heroine following the exit of Emma Raducanu - and found one the very next afternoon in Boulter, who came from a set down to to knock out last year's finalist Karolina Pliskova 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4.
Thursday's second-round win was the biggest of Boulter's career as the 25-year-old defeated the Czech who was Ash Barty's final victim on her run to Wimbledon glory last year.
And Boulter revealed in heart-rending fashion to the crowd afterwards that it had come just two days after her grandmother had died.
The British No.3 has been enjoying a fine run on grass courts, having also beaten Pliskova in Eastbourne last week, but, with a dodgy forecast, this centre-court contest became an indoor affair.
World No.118 Boulter, who'd narrowly lost to eventual semi-finalist Aryna Sabalenka on the same stage last year, then proceeded to nearly blow off the roof with her performance and the emotional address afterwards that left hardly a dry eye in the house.
Boulter revealed her grandmother had died just two days earlier.
"I'm going to get so emotional. I'd like to dedicate it to her," she told the crowd.
Boulter, whose progress has been hampered by a series of injuries, says she's taken heart and strength from de Minaur's work ethic as Australia's No.1 men's player ever since they started going out more than a year ago.
"He is the epitome of a fighter and someone that goes out and gives their all every single day. That's what I aspire to be like. He helps me do that. I'm a very lucky girl," Boulter said.
The blonde baseliner reckoned she would be heading out to No.1 court later to cheer on the Sydneysider as he was playing her British friend and colleague Jack Draper.
Elsewhere in the women's draw, the unstoppable Iga Swiatek overcame a brief interruption to her domination, actually losing a set before ousting Dutchwoman Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove 6-4 4-6 6-3 to extend her incredible winning streak to 37 in a row.
It wasn't easy for the Pole, despite being up against a player ranked 138 in the world, and she even had to save two break points at the start of the final set before extending what is now the longest run of success since Martina Hingis also won 37 straight in 1997.
Another of the big guns, 2021 Roland Garros winner Barbora Krejcikova, the 13th seed, won back-to-back matches for the first time since the Australian Open as she beat Swiss Viktorija Golubic 6-3 6-4 to set up a third-round contest with Australian No.1 Ajla Tomljanovic.
But former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu's hopes have been extinguished with a 6-4 7-6 (7-5) defeat to Kazakh 17th seed Elena Rybakina.
Two-time champ Petra Kvitova survived a gruelling second set against Romanian Ana Bogdan, repelling two set points before going on to a 6-1 7-6 (7-5) victory.
Joining her in the last 32 is Paula Badosa, the world No.4 who avoided the cull of seeds as she saw off another Romanian Irina Bara 6-3 6-2.
