'Yes' campaign wants to build on volunteers' goodwill

As polls closed on Saturday night, Quandamooka man and Yes23 campaign head Dean Parkin said there was a difference between an election campaign and a referendum.

"We didn't start with a base vote," he told ABC TV.

"However many millions of people vote 'yes', that represents the creation of a base from Australians in support of recognition and in support of Indigenous progress generally.

"I'm proud of being part of creating this campaign."

Jill Gallagher, chief executive of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, said when the Uluru Statement from the Heart was released in 2017 inviting Australians to support an Indigenous voice, she thought it would be a shoo-in.

"The last few months have been quite energising to see so many allies who come up and support the voice here in Victoria," she said.

"If we're successful it will be life-changing for many, many Aboriginal people across the country."

Leading 'no' campaigner Warren Mundine said he thought from day one that the proposal would be defeated in every state.

Mr Mundine said the 'no' campaign remained confident despite not being able to find enough volunteers to hand out pamphlets at all polling booths.

"My feeling is that people had already made up their minds before going into the polling booths," he said.

Mr Parkin said the Uluru Statement had been generated from a grassroots process of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people coming together, compared to the 'no' campaign, which was headed by professional politicians.

"It was very much on the 'no' side a politicised argument rather than one which really addressed the question that was being put forward," he said.

In order to pass, the referendum needed a majority of 'yes' votes across the nation and in at least four states.

Australian Associated Press