The Voice to Parliament would have been an advisory body with no power of veto but permanently enshrined in the constitution, meaning a future government of the day could not abolish it without holding another referendum.

It was first proposed after hundreds of Indigenous Australians, who took part in the Uluru Dialogues, issued the Statement from the Heart six years ago.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Coalition Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who actively campaigned against the referendum, celebrated the result, insisting the vote should have never happened.

As of late Saturday night, the strongest Yes vote came from the Victorian seat of Melbourne, which Greens leader Adam Bandt represents.

Tasmanian Liberal MP Bridget Archer, a rare campaigner for Yes in the federal Coalition party room, said it would be "very difficult" for Australia to move forward.

Liberal MP Julian Leeser, who quit the Coalition frontbench to champion a Yes vote, said he remained optimistic the "cause for reconciliation will ultimately succeed".

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