Flashback: 1999 Adrian Piccoli wins as Dawson’s Creek shocks

The youthful looking 29-year-old comfortably defeated Labor candidate Pat Pittavino, securing 54 per cent of the vote to 33 per cent. 

“I’ve always liked Griffith and also wanted to use my knowledge to help the country, which has been getting a pretty hard time, compared to the city,” Mr Piccoli told The Area News in the lead up to the state election. 

Mr Piccoli won the seat for the National Party despite a statewide election landslide victory for Bob Carr’s Labor government. 

In Mr Piccoli’s electorate, then called Murrumbidgee, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation picked up 8 per cent of the vote, with 4 per cent going to the now deregistered Australian Democrats.

Mr Piccoli would go on to win another four elections, and remained our local member until his recent resignation – spending more than 18 years in the job.

He also said, “there’s no family history with politics – my parents worked too hard to be involved. But I’ve always had an interest in current affairs and what affects our lives...”

The Area News headline was “Baton passes to a new Adrian”, as Mr Piccoli succeeded Adrian Cruickshank, the local member from 1984 and 1999.

A National named Adrian has held the seat for 33 years. 

The Murray electorate, which was called Murrumbidgee when Mr Piccoli was first elected, will choose a new member this Saturday. 

The defeated Mr Pittavino is currently vice president of Griffith Business Chamber. 

Other big news story on March 29 1999 were:

Talent Evening: Griffith Regional Theatre hosted budding musicians, dancers and singers, with Tracy Minato and Chontell Santalucia shining. 

Victory for Hanwood: who won the Grade A cricket grand final for the second year running.

Dawson’s Creek: the much anticipated Friday 13^th episode of popular teen drama Dawson’s Creek for previewed in the TV Guide, the episode chronicled a serial killer in town.