Finn - taunted for being “that other red-headed Julia” - enjoyed a swing of 3.5 per cent over Liberal Tony Issa, who had taken the traditionally-Labor seat in the Barry O’Farrell invasion of the west in 2011.
Despite a resounding victory for Premier Mike Baird on Saturday, there was a swing to Labor of nine per cent.
In Parramatta, another traditional Labor seat, Liberal MP Geoff Lee bucked the trend with a two per cent swing, now enjoying a 12.5 per cent margin.
Lee is the first Liberal to hold Parramatta for more than one term. It is now considered a safe Liberal seat, although Lee calls it marginal.
But Granville was always considered belonging to Labor and therefore would come back to the fold eventually, despite the popularity of Issa.
Finn said Granville had been neglected under Liberal rule, with cutback to train services and increases in TAFE fees. Privatisation of power also was a concern, Finn said.
“People of Granville feel they have been neglected and that the Liberals do not seem to want people in the area to have access to higher education,” Finn said.
“Not only were commuters inconvenienced by the cutback in train services - by 43 percent in the morning and 31 percent in the afternoon - but businesses complained about loss of trade.”
AS Finn was having photographs taken for WSBA, a couple of businesspeople came out to congratulate her and lament the cutback in train services.
In licking their wounds, Issa supporters are claiming that the Christian Democrat Party candidate Lara Taouk Sleiman took votes from Issa by not directing preferences on her how-to-vote leaflet.
But Finn laughed off this suggestion, saying that during scrutineering, she saw that two thirds of CDP preferences went to Issa with a third flowing to her.
While Granville was not showered with Coalition largesse, Parramatta - the jewel in the crown - was presented with a $2.9 billion suite of promises, including light rail, Westmead Hospital upgrade, improved transport and new high rise high schools.
"I think it's been a humbling experience to be re-elected for a second term," Lee said on election night. "We ran on a positive campaign and the opposition ran one based on fear."
Local pundits say Labor’s fear campaign over possible “sale” of the poles and wires to the Chinese government backfired in Parramatta, which has a high Chinese population, the bedrock of part-Chinese Lee’s support.
Other seats snatched back by Labor were Prospect, Blue Mountains and Londonderry - which had the biggest swing of about 17 per cent for Prue Car.
Londonderry coming back to Labor was perhaps inevitable, given that former Liberal MP Bart Russell resigned after being caught up in an ICAC investigation.
Liberal candidate Bernard Bratusa managed only 44.91 of the two-party preferred vote.
In Prospect, a reconfigured Smithfield which had been won by Liberal Andrew Rohan in 2011, was claimed by Labor’s McDermott with 52.91 per cent of the two-party preferred vote, a swing of 4.7 per cent.
Penrith Liberal MP Stuart Ayres, sports minister in the Baird government, retained the seat he won in the 2010 by-election, enjoying a swing of 12 per cent.
He is the first Liberal to have the seat since 1988-91. Penrith is now considered a safe Liberal seat.
While Opposition Leader Luke Foley was expected to win the safe seat of Auburn, previously held by popular Barbara Perry, there was a one per cent swing to the Liberals.
On the other hand former Labor leader John Robertson enjoyed a nine per cent swing to him in Blacktown.
On election night, Mr Foley thanked the people of western Sydney for returning Labor “in such large numbers”. "This has been a good election for Labor," Mr Foley said.
But Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Mike Baird warned Labor that he will “work night and day to get those western Sydney seats back”.
It is going to be an interesting four years.
