Three men - two Russians and a Ukrainian separatist - were sentenced to life in prison on Thursday over the 2014 attack, which killed all 298 people on board the flight over Ukraine.
The trio were convicted in absentia while a third Russian defendant was acquitted.
Hundreds of family members of plane's passengers and crew travelled to the court to hear the verdict, including family and friends of the 38 Australians who died.
Meryn O'Brien, whose son Jack was killed when the flight was downed, said the verdict didn't change anything.
"It's a measure of justice but it would be complete justice if our family members were restored to us," he told ABC TV.
Matthew Horder, whose parents died in the attack, noted the importance of the court determining what happened.
"To have a court at a high level confirm that ... those people were deliberately murdered is very important for the families who are surviving their loved ones," he said.
The Dutch court's ruling came more than eight years after the Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was blown out of the sky by a missile during a conflict between pro-Russia rebels and Ukrainian forces.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong called on Russia to surrender the convicted men so they may be sentenced for their "heinous crime".
"We would say to Russia, the world knows that you're harbouring murderers and that says something about you (president) Putin," she said.
Senator Wong added the trial "delivered justice and delivered truth" for the families of those on board while also confirming Russia's responsibility for the attack.
"My thoughts today are with those who lost a loved one, families, friends and all those for whom grief remains unfathomable," she said.
"These verdicts matter because they confirm the truth.
"So whilst I know that very little can lessen the grief when you lose a loved one in such horrific circumstances, it is important for the truth to come out and it has."
Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles said it was a day of mixed emotions for the families, noting there was slim chance Russia would accept the ruling and hand the convicted men over.
"So there's a sense that there is unfinished business here," he said.
Dutch prosecutors said the missile came from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, a unit of the Russian armed forces based in the Russian city of Kursk.
The head of Australia's victim identification team welcomed the news and paid tribute to everyone involved in gathering evidence over the past eight years.
Simon Walsh said it had been an incredible effort to be able to bring material before the court despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
"It's a really significant milestone for everyone involved. We meet the news with a lot of satisfaction," he told Sky News.