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Same-sex marriage will be legal in Australia, with Parliament agreeing to change the Marriage Act and end the ban on gay and lesbian couples marrying.

Four members of the House of Representatives voted against the bill.

Liberal senator Dean Smith's bill will now become law after a day of cheers, tears and applause in the Lower House.

People queued for access to the public gallery to witness the law being changed and by the time of the final vote, they were packed into every spot.

Same-sex marriage supporters wearing colourful "Yes" T-shirts clapped and cheered as amendments were voted down, prompting repeated warnings they should stop their barracking.

The public gallery led a chorus of We Are Australian after the final vote, with members of the parliament joining in from the floor of the House in tears.

Opponents of same-sex marriage including Liberals Andrew Hastie, Kevin Andrews and Tony Abbott pushed for changes, but none of their amendments succeeded. 

The legislation passed the Lower House three weeks after Senator Smith stood in the Senate and declared "it was not just a vote about a law but a vote about who we are as a people".

Senators supporting the bill huddled together on the side of the Lower House chamber to join the celebrations.

Veteran same-sex marriage campaigner Warren Entsch was besieged by his colleagues.

Earlier gay Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman noted Mr Entsch's long-standing advocacy, lauding him as an "honorary gay".

Source: msn.com