Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is returning to the top job, after a decisive election win that was well predicted.

He's the country's first leader to win back-to-back elections since John Howard in 2004, pushing his party back into office - this time with an even larger majority. 

Meanwhile, the night proved a big loss for opposition leader Peter Dutton - after he lost his seat of Dickson in Queensland and conceded defeat. 

Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this was an 'epic' win for Labor - and a significant loss for the opposition.

"Unless Labor really stuffs things up, it's going to have another election win in three years time, because the Liberals - the conservative right of Australian politics - is in complete disarray this morning."

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