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The Matildas are out of the FIFA Women's World Cup, falling to a 3-1 defeat to England in front of 75,784 fans at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
England deservedly led thanks to an Ella Toone strike in the first half, but Sam Kerr scored a stunning long-range leveller to give the Matildas renewed vigour.
However, Lauren Hemp capped a superb, player of the match performance with a goal midway through the second half, before laying a third on a plate for Alessia Russo to seal victory with five minutes remaining.
England will meet Spain in the final, after they beat Sweden 2-1 in last night's first semifinal, while Australia will play the Swedes in Saturday's third-place playoff in Brisbane.
The Matildas stood in the centre of a packed Stadium Australia, heartbroken at how close they were to a maiden appearance in a World Cup final — but in truth they were second best for long periods of the evening against the reigning European Champions.
England, missing five of their best from that Euros victory due to injuries and retirements — and arguably their best player at this World Cup, Lauren James through suspension, had flattered to deceive at this tournament thus far, despite going through unbeaten.
However, England showed why it had only once tasted defeat in their last 38 matches — albeit against Australia earlier this year — and, after grinding out victories to reach this point, were far closer to their best when it mattered most.
The Matildas will be proud of the way they have united the country behind their goal, but will doubtless feel like they left a golden opportunity on the pitch, with Kerr in particular guilty of missing two huge second-half chances.
"It's conversion rate," Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson told Channel 7 after the match.
"In the 83rd minute and in the 85th minute we nearly scored two. It is one of those nights they were more clinical in finishing.
"We promised each other we would leave everything out there and they left it all out there.
"Unfortunately, tonight it wasn't enough."
The Matildas were dealt a blow before a ball was even kicked at Stadium Australia with Alanna Kennedy ruled out of the game through illness.
Veteran Clare Polkinghorne, playing in her 162nd international, was an able and experienced replacement, but England immediately looked to target a pairing that were yet to play together at this World Cup.
Both teams had excellent chances in the opening ten minutes of the game.
Kerr, starting for the first time in this tournament, gave England a warning shot early, racing onto a long ball and firing into Mary Earps — although the flag then did correctly go up for offside.
Minutes later it was England establishing their dominance on the contest, testing the pace of Hunt and Polkinghorne and building 70 per cent possession in the opening quarter of an hour.
Georgia Stanway volleyed straight at Mackenzie Arnold after a long ball over the top from Alex Greenwood.
Greenwood was issued a rare booking soon after for a crude challenge on Kerr — part of an England tactic to deny Australia's leader any space or rhythm at all, but England were gradually gaining some degree of control that saw them generate six shots on goal before the Matildas were able to muster their first shot on goal.
Steph Catley was forced to head behind a Rachel Daly cross as Lucy Bronze lurked, with Daly then heading over from the corner.
Alessia Russo had a brilliant chance off another long ball but could only find the side netting from an acute angle.
The Matildas eventually hit their straps, with Hayley Raso peeling off the back of the corner in the 30th minute before firing towards goal that was deflected behind.
Australia were always dangerous on the counter but England's lead, when it came, was entirely deserved.
Toone still had plenty to do when Russo turned the ball back towards the centre of the penalty area from the byline after Australia switched off at a throw in.
Lauren Hemp allowed the ball to run under her foot, which despite not appearing to be deliberate, worked out perfectly for the Lionesses.
Toone, who scored in England's European championships final victory last year but has since played second fiddle to the suspended James, unleashed a stunning, inch-perfect strike into the top corner to silence the home crowd.
The Matildas needed a response in the second half and pushed up higher to pressure England's centrebacks, who had been given all too much free space to operate in the first half.
And largely they did, with Mary Fowler and Kerr both immediately more visible going forward
England were still a threat though. Arnold had to make a sharp save from Hemp — and then Millie Bright headed wide from the subsequent corner.
But Kerr's brilliant leveller re-ignited the crowd.
Australia's talisman picked up the ball in her own half and drove into England territory, pursued by two defenders before unleashing a fierce drive towards goal.
It took a slight deflection off Bright, but it made no material difference as Kerr screamed in joy alongside the vast majority of the Stadium Australia crowd.
The Matildas looked to kick on from that moment — Kerr emboldened by her first goal of the tournament, looking immediately for another but seeing one shot blocked and another saved by Earps.
But that positivity evaporated when England nabbed their second, the brilliant Hemp deservedly getting on the scoresheet.
Ellie Carpenter should have done better, swinging twice in an attempt to clear with Hemp in close attendance, but when the ball fell to the English striker, she made no mistake and rifled past Arnold to restore England's lead.
The Matildas were never going to lie down, Fowler delivering a perfect cross for Kerr to head over from point-blank range.
Cortnee Vine was then denied by a fine save by Earps, diving full stretch across to her left as Vine fired across goal, but England were there to clear and deny Emily van Egmond.
With five minutes remaining, Kerr again should have scored, volleying wide with the goal at her mercy — a miss she admitted would replay in her mind when she looked back at this game.
"I can't put all the blame on myself," Kerr said.
"I have to think of all the things the team have done and I have done to be where we are now and inspire a nation.
"It is really disappointing."
That miss was glaring, but what happened just 69 seconds later made it all the worse.
England broke through Hemp and laid the ball on a plate to Russo, who slotted home to finally silence Stadium Australia and put England into a first ever World Cup final.