A new generation of lower house cross benchers are likely heading to Canberra as independent candidates find favour over major party MPs.
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Sydney's Allegra Spender and Kylea Tink and Melbourne-based former journalist Zoe Daniel are all on track to claim seats.
The progressive tally shows likely victory for Ms Tink over Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman in North Sydney.
Ms Daniel has claimed victory over Liberal MP Tim Wilson and Ms Spender leads government MP Dave Sharma 58-42.
"What we have achieved here is extraordinary: safe Liberal seat, two-term incumbent - independent," Ms Daniel told supporters.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is in deep trouble against Monique Ryan in Kooyong, in Victoria, trailing 53-47 with more than half the vote counted.
In NSW, independent Sophie Scamps leads Liberal Jason Falinski 53-47 in Mackellar while Dai Le leads Labor candidate Kristina Keneally 51-49 in Fowler.
Independent MP Zali Steggall, who is in a commanding position in the Sydney seat of Warringah, said the swing away from the coalition was clear to see.
"The community is frustrated, the major parties and the two-party system is broken," she told Sky News.
"It's failing to address the really big issues that communities want to see movement on, from integrity to respect for women to climate change policies, and the communities are speaking, they're looking for alternatives."
Incumbent Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie was the first candidate to claim victory in a seat on Saturday.
"I am delighted to be in a position to again hold the seat of Clark after today's poll," Mr Wilkie said on Saturday evening.
"Elections are a wonderful celebration of democracy and to have secured a fifth term is tremendous validation that my consistent calls for greater fairness and action on many key issues have resonated in the greater Hobart community."
Climate 200 convenor Simon Holmes a Court, who is supporting several of the independent candidates, said two-to-four of the independents he's backed would win seats. He said making seats marginal was also important.
"The real thing to watch tonight is how many seats come down to a two-horse race between the independent candidate and the incumbent," he told Sky News.
"We'll see how many seats become marginal this election which will be very exciting."
Former Liberal minister Christopher Pyne labelled the teal independents "political deceivers" and "political frauds".
"They have one purpose and that's to remove small-l Liberal members from the party room and to make the Liberal Party more right-wing and therefore unelectable," he told Seven News.
"Calling them independents is really quite false. It's a very obvious campaign."
Australian Associated Press
