Following the 2004 death of independent
Tony McGrane, Fardell was elected to represent Dubbo at the subsequent by-election. At the time, the by-election was seen as a test of the
NSW Nationals, who had held the seat for 17 years prior to McGrane's election in 1999, while Fardell presented herself as "capable of working with any party and not having to toe the party line".
Labor, which had not held the seat since 1959, did not field a candidate, and federal independents
Peter Andren and
Tony Windsor supported Fardell in her campaign. In the final result, Fardell picked up 49.3% of the primary vote, with 56% on a two-party preferred basis. She was returned to office in the
2007 state election, winning 41.66% of the primary vote with both major parties once again running, and served as a member of parliamentary
standing committees on public works and road safety. Fardell was defeated at the
2011 state election by the
National Party candidate,
Troy Grant, a local
police inspector. ==References==