First Nations communities across Australia look forward after the Voice to Parliament proposal was defeated in the nation’s first referendum this century.
Follow our live blog for the latest updates to see what happens next.
In case you missed it, you can see full referendum results as they happened here.
Yuin Elder reacts to referendum result
Reporting by Tahnee Jash.
After a Voice to Parliament was rejected by Australians in Saturday night’s referendum, First Nations Elders are providing a beacon of hope for their communities.
Yuin Elder, Uncle BJ Cruse watched the referendum results unfold live with his family in their lounge room in Eden, New South Wales and despite being disappointed by the results, he says the fight for better rights isn’t over.
“We lost a battle; we haven’t lost a war. Our people just need to keep that in mind and be stirred on,” he said.
He says the ongoing impact of colonisation on First Nations people can no longer be ignored.
“The next step I see is before Aboriginal people go back to governments with a proposal for major change, I believe Aboriginal people ourselves have to reach an agreement.
“It’s like Aboriginal people within the nation need to sign a treaty amongst Aboriginal people so that we’re all on the same page and we go to government with a united voice,” he said.
Uncle BJ and his father Uncle Ossie Cruse MBE AM have been fighting for Aboriginal rights for decades. Uncle Ossie Cruse was one of the signatories of the Uluru Statement of the Heart.
Despite that being overwhelming rejected yesterday, Uncle BJ says he is not deterred.
“Aboriginal people gave nothing up, the governments taken nothing away, therefore nothing has changed,” he said.
Polling expert is not surprised Victoria voted no to referendum
A polling expert says he’s not surprised Victoria voted No to an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, despite having the highest yes vote of any state.
Almost 55 per cent of Victorians voted No to the Voice, with over 70 per cent of votes counted.
Redbridge Group Analyst Kos Samaras says the results in Victoria reflect a class divide that played out across the country…with more wealthy educated areas voting yes, and lower socioeconomic areas voting no.
“Very very high levels of support in Labor Greens contest electorates and then as we head out to the outer burbs that’s where support for the Yes declines rapidly.”
Key Event
Watch: Antony Green summarises referendum result
If you’re in need of a recap, here is ABC’s chief elections analyst with a 45-second summary of the referendum result.
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Welcome to our live coverage
The Voice to Parliament proposal has been defeated, with a No vote being recorded nationally and in all six states.
You can see how your area voted here.
Follow along as we bring you live updates and reactions to the referendum result.
