Not one constitution but three constitutions in a trench coat

As the night of 14 October wore on, it became clear fairly quickly that the referendum to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament would be defeated. For some, this was a source of elation; for many others, profound sadness. However, for a discrete group of Australians-those with even a passingly competent understanding of the complexity of the Australian constitution-there was a distinct accompanying feeling. That feeling was resignation, informed by the knowledge that any attempt to amend the constitution was always going to be immensely difficult.