Ms. O'Hanlon had received a 3.4 percent two-party preferred swing with early votes yet to be counted, eclipsing the Liberals’ slim 0.5 percent margin.
What was clear on the night was the electorate had delivered a huge swing to the Greens and away from the major parties.
Whether voters were attracted to the party by its promise to extend a tram line to Norwood or if they were simply disillusioned by the mud-slinging of the major parties that had defined the campaign may never be known.
SA Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young congratulated her party’s candidate Katie McCusker on the result after a commendable 8.8 percent swing in her favour.
That result was bad news for the Liberals, with Greens’ preferences flowing to Labor at almost 90 percent.
Opposition Leader David Speirs stopped short of conceding defeat but acknowledged the path to victory was difficult.
“The results tonight are not looking that promising for the Liberal Party,” he told a room full of volunteers.
“There is a pathway to holding the seat, but it is a pathway which has many barriers and so that’s going to be challenging, and for that result, I apologise.
“I am really sorry that it is as difficult as it might be.”
Liberal candidate Anna Finizio thanked her team of volunteers for their efforts and told them to walk away with their heads held high, regardless of the result.
The mood was much less dour at Labor headquarters, where Mr. Malinauskas and his apparent new parliamentary colleague were soaking up the result.
“Cressida and I are both quite taken aback to be in this extraordinary position,” Mr. Malinauskas said.
“It seems pretty remarkable that we are on the verge potentially of doing something that hasn’t happened in South Australia in 116 years.”
Mr. Marshall held the seat for 14 years and the loss of his appeal no doubt dragged down the Liberal vote in Dunstan.
Both leaders had predicted a tight contest, but the prospect of a swing towards the government after big swings away from the Queensland and federal governments in recent by-elections was an emphatic tick of approval for the premier.
Where Is Dunstan?
Dunstan covers Adelaide’s inner east including the suburbs of Norwood, Beulah Park, St Peters and Kensington.It is a relatively wealthy area - the average weekly household income was $1653 at the 2021 census, compared to the state average of $1,455.
What Are The Key Issues?
Ambulance ramping has been central to the campaign, with the opposition accusing the government of failing on its central election commitment to fix the issue.Both major party candidates have focused on local issues, pledging to strengthen heritage laws, lower traffic and preserve tree canopies.
Cost-of-living is front of mind for most voters, even though the issue is less pressing in Dunstan than in lower-income areas.