Every state turned down the proposal to put a non-binding Indigenous advisory body in the constitution, with the ACT the only jurisdiction to back the 'yes' case.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had always promised to go "all in" and fulfil the request from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to have Australians vote on enshrining a voice in the constitution.
The referendum's outcome "does not define us and it will not divide us", he said in an address to the nation from Canberra.
"The real division that needed to be addressed was between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in life expectancy, in educational opportunity, in rates of suicide and disease," he said.
He pledged the referendum's defeat was not the end of the road.
"We will continue to write the next chapter in that great Australian story and we will write it together, and reconciliation must be a part of that chapter."
Anthony Albanese and Linda Burney are not walking away from Indigenous reconciliation.
Thirty-eight electorates out of 151 nationwide supported the Indigenous voice.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who championed the 'no' case, said all Australians wanted to see Indigenous disadvantage addressed, but didn't think the voice was the way forward.
"To Indigenous Australians contending with difficulty and disadvantage, I will do my utmost to lead with courage and to do with his right to implement the practical solutions required to improve outcomes and close the gap," he said.
Mr Dutton reiterated a coalition government would launch a royal commission into child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities and an audit into spending on Indigenous programs.
He said better outcomes "means listening less to activists and more to people in those communities".
Prominent 'no' campaigner Warran Mundine said there would be no celebrations from his side.
"We've got to reach out to those Australians who didn't vote for us ... and come together because we've got to fix these issues once and for all," he told Sky News.
Yes23 director Dean Parkin said the "single largest misinformation campaign" against the voice meant people of goodwill had voted against the proposal.
Prominent Indigenous activist and academic Marcia Langton declared "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," she told SBS.
But Anthony Dillon, who specialises in Indigenous wellbeing and education, said comments that reconciliation had been ruined amounted to "emotional blackmail".
"The goodwill generally speaking between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is very high and it won't have changed," Dr Dillon said.
Premier of Australia's most populous state, NSW - Chris Minns - noted the referendum outcome but said he's committed to hearing the voices of Indigenous people.
The results are in, and it's important we respect that decision. — Chris Minns (@ChrisMinnsMP) But this remains clear. The status quo isn't working, so we'll work to deliver the best outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in NSW. Each and every day. pic.twitter.com/heqUrjQowwOctober 14, 2023
Coalition senator and 'no' campaigner Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said the result reinforced the need for a "new era" of Indigenous policy.
"We have to step away from grievance, attempting to bring about change through has evidently got us nowhere," she said.
"It's time to accept that we are all part of the fabric of this nation."
Liberals for 'Yes' co-convenor Sean Gordon said it was up to Australians - whether they voted 'yes' or 'no' - to hold the government to account for what it did to better the lives of First Nations communities.
"We've carried this for too long, it is now up to you to carry this, keep your politicians to account," he said.
"We're failing across the board in everything that we're doing at the moment."
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