Millions of Australians voted Saturday in a landmark referendum on recognition and rights for indigenous citizens.

Almost 18 million Australians will vote "yes" or "no" to changes that would acknowledge indigenous peoples in the constitution for the first time and create an advisory body — a so-called  "Voice" — to weigh laws that affect those communities.

Australia's First Nations peoples have lived on the continent for more than 60,000 years.

The arrival of British colonialists heralded a period of violent subjugation, forced assimilation and enduring deprivation of the natives.

Today, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up less than four percent of the population, but are much more likely to be sick, imprisoned or to die young than their wealthier white compatriots.

"Yes" vote supporters argue the reforms would help fix those persistent inequalities by engaging indigenous people in crafting policies that affect their communities.

But opinion polls give the referendum little hope of passing, with recent surveys indicating the "yes" camp is polling at just over 40 percent and the "no" side at nearly 60 percent.

Polls have consistently shown that indigenous issues rank low on any list of public priorities for most Australians, far behind concerns like the rising cost of living.

The opposition campaign has been successful in channelling fears about the role and effectiveness of the "Voice" assembly, encouraging voters to vote "no" if they are uncertain.

Center-left Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spent a year and much precious political capital advocating for the "yes" campaign.

On the day of the referendum he made an emotional plea to voters, asking them to right a historical wrong.

"This week of all weeks, with so much hatred displayed in the world, this is an opportunity for Australians to show kindness," he said.

"This is about respect for indigenous Australians. It's about how we see ourselves as a nation, but it's also about the way that the world sees us."

A "yes" victory, he said, would mean a "burden lifted from all of us."

"In my lifetime indigenous Australians were not counted. Now they're asking to be heard. It's not too much to ask."

WITH AFP