The Liberal’s long-dominant moderate faction in the SA federal seat of Sturt is breathing a huge sigh of relief.

So is former MP Christopher Pyne, who has built his political reputation here and had fiercely lobbied for his supporter base to hold their nerve.

They’ve beaten the rampaging conservatives by a whisker to retain control of the SA faction’s jewel of the crown.

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At last night’s annual general meeting for the Sturt Federal Electoral Council, party faithful gathered at the sub-branch after the worst ever defeat at a general election.

Incumbent James Stevens was wiped off the map by Labor’s Claire Clutterham, with a whopping 7.1 per cent swing.

Labor now holds a 56.5 per cent to 43.5 per cent two-party preferred lead.

Previously, the Lib’s were clinging to a margin of less than 0.5 per cent.

Adelaide’s leafy eastern suburbs Liberal stronghold had been slowly slipping away until it was snuffed out on May 3.

The conservate ticket headed by Therese Britton-La Salle for president was openly backed by powerbrokers Senators Alex Antic and Leah Blyth, who’s also state party president.

Tony Pasin, Ben Hood, Laura Henderson, Nicola Centofanti and Heidi Girolamo were also firmly behind the push.

But at the end of the day, Amanda Hundertmark won the top job and so did all her nominees for the various committee positions including State Council delegates.

“An experienced and proven team of committed Liberals solely focused on ensuring we win back Sturt at the next federal election,” was her pitch to the party faithful.

By all accounts the winning margin in this once-blue ribbon seat came down to about eight votes from the 300 members attending.

Had five people voted the other way, the conservative wave in the Liberal Party would have been surging towards a tsunami.

It’s been building for the past three years across the sub-branches.

It was reportedly the largest turn out of members in recent history with both factions desperate for victory.

The moderates, with an older demographic, didn’t want to cough up any advantage to their “real” political enemy.

The conservatives say it’s ripe for the picking to exert change and influence on a party seemingly bereft of ideas in the wake of this year’s hefty defeat across the nation.

This result tells me that the conservatives have lost the battle but are far from a spent force here.

They’re fanning the winds of change which they feel can drag the Liberals out of possible oblivion at both the state and federal levels.

“The team has a mix of experience and energy which will turn Sturt FEC around by promoting true Liberal values,” their flyer claimed.

Both can’t be correct or, can they?

Is this now factional peace in our time for the Libs in Sturt or any other SA electorate?

I doubt it.

Mike Smithson is weekend presenter and political analyst for 7NEWS Adelaide.