Indigenous Voice to Parliament: 'Hurt and dismay' as Australia says 'no'

Leading "yes" campaigner Marcia Langton said "it's very clear that reconciliation is dead".

"A majority of Australians have said no to an invitation from Indigenous Australia, with a minimal proposition, to give us a bare say in matters that affect our lives, advice that doesn't need to be taken by the parliament," she told SBS' NITV on Saturday night.

"No" campaigners, on the other hand, were highly pleased with the result.

"Today is a proud day in the history of Australia," Daniel Wild of the right-of-centre Institute of Public Affairs said.

"The result makes clear an overwhelming majority of Australians, from all walks of life, have rejected entrenching racial division in our nation's founding document."

But "yes" campaigners rejected the idea that a Voice would have "entrenched racial division". Marcia Langton said: "I think the 'no' campaigners have a lot to answer for in poisoning Australia against this proposition and against Indigenous Australia."

Ms Langton accused Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of deliberately opposing the voice for political gain.

"Because history tells us that referendums cannot be won without bipartisanship and he took the opportunity to use this as his political ploy to win back seats because of the landslide against his side of politics at the last election," she said.

"And so, as I've said before, it's a cynical political exercise to exploit that undertone of general contempt for us and we have a lot of work to do."

ANU research fellow James Blackwell, a Wiradyuri man, blamed those in the "no" campaign who spread "lies, fear and racism".

"I will never forgive those who peddled lies, fear, racism and insults in this campaign, nor any of those who enabled them," he wrote on Twitter.

"How can we expect voters to vote the right way when this is the environment in politics and the media?"

Tanya Hosch, an Indigenous social activist and the general manager of inclusion and social policy at the AFL, also said she was "devastated" by the result.

"Aboriginal people have been working on this for over a decade and so have many other people," she told the ABC.

She said there would be a "lot of hurt and dismay" at the response, adding "we are going to need to take a moment to absorb that message and what it says".

As results trickled in on Saturday night, Indigenous leaders preached a message of courage and unity as many in the "yes" camp braced for disappointment.

Uluru Dialogues strategic adviser Kirstie Parker wrote on Twitter that "irrespective of the referendum result, we will be as dignified, courageous and staunch tomorrow as today".

"Love my people, friends and allies," she wrote.

Similarly, Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney also tweeted: "Millions of you have said Yes to hope, recognition, and the offer of reconciliation from Indigenous Australians.

"Whatever the result tonight, millions of Australians have united in an historic movement for constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians."

But as the "no" result was called, Liberal senator and Arrernte woman Kerrynne Liddle also framed the outcome as one of "unity".

"This is about recognising Australians are equal under the constitution. People recognise that there are disadvantaged people within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, and a lot of conversations revolved around how do we actually address issues for them," she told the ABC.

Yes23 campaign director Dean Parkin urged Australians to not lose resolve.

In a statement posted in the wake of the referendum defeat, Mr Parkin said this was "clearly not the outcome we worked to achieve" but that "we must ... make sure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are recognised, respected and listened to".

"This referendum represented a promise made to Indigenous Australians for a better future, and it's a promise we must find a way to keep," he stated.

"Take the time to heal and to reflect on all that we have achieved together - and, when you can, recommit to the change we want to see in this country.

"This was never going to be the last campaign for recognition and justice; it's yet another chapter in the story of our struggle."

Meanwhile, independent senator Lidia Thorpe - who campaigned against the Voice on the grounds the proposal did not go far enough - said she wasn't surprised to see the majority of people voting "no".

"Given the country has not been taken on a journey and the referendum ultimately was a bad idea in the first place, I'm not surprised," she told the ABC.

Senator Thorpe said the referendum had revealed the gaps in knowledge about Australia's First Nations history and provided a platform for racism.

"There has been no truth-telling and a lot of those people out there, particularly in Queensland, don't even know the true history of this land," she said.

"I think the referendum has certainly given a platform for the racists, and we know suicide rates amongst our people have skyrocketed since the announcement of the referendum.

"So people are literally killing themselves as a result and we have no other choice in this country but to unite and heal and go on a journey for treaty. We have to do a treaty in this country to bring people together."

"Yes" volunteer Shelly Ware told SBS' NITV she was concerned about the impact the referendum result would have on Indigenous youth, saying they were worried about going to school.

"I know exactly what oue youth are feeling because I have a 17-year-old son at home who's messaged me all night. And they are worried," she said.

"I've got nieces and nephews and am a teacher, I worked in schools for 25 years and I've been speaking to young people throughout this time.

"They are worried about going to school on Monday, they genuinely are. They have faced horrendous racism through this time and it has been heartbreaking to see, and how do we send our children to school on Monday?"