In a short speech on Tuesday in the Prime Minister's courtyard, Mr Abbott thanked the "Australian people for giving me the honour to serve" but delivered a stinging criticism of poll-driven commentary, critics of his chief-of-staff Peta Credlin and a media he said "rewarded treachery".

"This is not an easy day for many people in this building. Leadership changes are never easy for our country," Mr Abbott said.

"My pledge today is to make this change as easy as I can.

"There will be no wrecking, no undermining, and no sniping. I've never leaked or backgrounded against anyone. And I certainly won't start now."

Mr Abbott gave no indication of whether he would continue on the backbench, telling reporters "this is a tough day, but when you join the game, you accept the rules".

"I want our government and our country to succeed. I always have and I always will," he said.

"I've consistently said in opposition and in government that being the Prime Minister is not an end in itself; it's about the people you serve.

"The great privilege that I have had is to see the wonder of this country like few others. And I
want to thank the Australian people for giving me the honour to serve."

'We stayed focused despite the white-anting': Abbott

The outgoing Prime Minister named axing Labor taxes - including the carbon tax, free trade deals with Japan, Korea and China, the government's response to security and terrorism threats, and stemming the flow of asylum-seeker boats as some of its achievements in the past two years.

He said he hoped future prime ministers would commit to spending a week of each year in remote indigenous communities as he had done.

"I am proud of what the Abbott government has achieved. We stayed focused despite the white-anting," he said.

"Of course, the government wasn't perfect. We have been a government of men and women, not a government of gods walking upon the earth."

Mr Abbott did not congratulate Mr Turnbull or mention any of his ministers by name.

He reserved his personal thanks for his wife Margie and his staff who had shown "unceasing devotion".

"Especially my chief of staff, who has been unfairly maligned by people who should've
known better," Mr Abbott said, in reference to Ms Credlin.

Mr Abbott reserved his worst criticism for the media, which he said had contributed to a change in Australia's political culture in the past decade.

He pointed to "more polls and more commentary than ever before" and said much of this centred on "sour, bitter, character assassination".

Mr Abbott said poll-driven politics had produced a "revolving-door prime ministership" that was not good for the country.

"And a febrile media culture has developed that rewards treachery," Mr Abbott said.

"And if there's one piece of advice I can give to the media, it's this: refuse to print self-serving claims that the person making them won't put his or her name to. Refuse to connive at dishonour by acting as the assassin's knife."

Turnbull pays tribute to Abbott

Mr Abbott did not attend question time later on Tuesday.

However, in his first question time as Prime Minister, Mr Turnbull paid tribute to Mr Abbott.

He said the Parliament, the government and the Coalition owed the former prime minister "an enormous debt of gratitude for his leadership and his service over many, many years".

"He led us out of opposition back into government," Mr Turnbull said.

"The challenges of leadership are very considerable. The pressures are enormous and as Tony Abbott has often said himself, very, very profoundly, that all of us here are volunteers."

He said Mr Abbott had had distinct achievements as both a prime minister and opposition leader and that his success alone in negotiating free trade agreements with Japan, Korea and China would create "some of the most significant foundations for our future prosperity."

Abbott a 'formidable opponent': Shorten

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten told the Parliament Mr Abbott was a "formidable" opponent and a fighter.

"Politics is a privilege to serve here. It is a vocation. But, as we know, it can be very hard as well," Mr Shorten said.

"Now it is part of the Australian spirit not to score points when someone is down."

Instead, Mr Shorten reflected on some of the more generous exchanges he shared with the former prime minister.

"I have exchanged harsh words with him in my time as Opposition Leader. I've disagreed with his politics and decisions on many occasions but I also wish to record that he had this frustrating ability on occasion, just when you were really frustrated with a particular decision he might have made, to do something unexpected and generous and personal," Mr Shorten said.

"From the time when my mother passed, he was very sensitive to that."

Mr Shorten noted that at Defence events, Mr Abbott would regularly begin his speeches by remarking "I've never served".

"What I say to Mr Abbott is you have served. I don't think you need to judge yourself any less for not having actually worn the uniform of this country. You have represented and been the prime minister of this country. That is service indeed," Mr Shorten said.

Follow us on Twitter