Guides

Time zones in Australia

Australia has 5 distinct clock rules in the time zone database, with 3 standard offsets from UTC+8 to UTC+10. 2 of these 5 change clocks for daylight saving; the rest keep the same time all year.

Australian Western Standard Time10:08 PMThu, Oct 22 · UTC+8

Perth, Mandurah, Kalgoorlie, Geraldton

Australian Central Standard Time / Australian Central Daylight Time12:38 AMFri, Oct 23 · UTC+10:30

Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Whyalla, Broken Hill

Australian Central Standard Time11:38 PMThu, Oct 22 · UTC+9:30

Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine, McMinns Lagoon

Australian Eastern Standard Time / Australian Eastern Daylight Time1:08 AMFri, Oct 23 · UTC+11

Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Canberra

Australian Eastern Standard Time12:08 AMFri, Oct 23 · UTC+10

Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, Townsville

Time zones
58 IANA identifiers
UTC offsets used in 2026
UTC+8, UTC+9:30, UTC+10, UTC+10:30, UTC+11
Daylight saving
Observed in some zonesNext change: Sunday, April 4, 2027
Dialing code
+61
National holidays in 2026
10Public and bank holidays

What to know about time in Australia

Mainland Australia has three standard times: Western (UTC+8), Central (UTC+9:30), and Eastern (UTC+10).

Daylight saving is a state decision. New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT, Tasmania, and South Australia move clocks forward from the first Sunday of October to the first Sunday of April; Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia do not. In summer, the mainland therefore runs five different clocks.

Lord Howe Island uses UTC+10:30 and moves forward by just 30 minutes in summer.

Australia’s time zones in 2026

Zones with identical rules are grouped. Calculated from the IANA time zone database at build time; local dates.

Time zoneOffsetsClock changes in 2026Major places
Australian Western Standard Time
Australia/Perth		UTC+8NonePerth, Mandurah, Kalgoorlie, Geraldton, Bunbury, Albany, Kwinana, Karratha
43 places in our search index
Australian Central Standard Time / Australian Central Daylight Time
Australia/Adelaide, Australia/Broken_Hill		UTC+9:30 / UTC+10:30Sun, Apr 5: back to UTC+9:30; Sun, Oct 4: forward to UTC+10:30Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Whyalla, Broken Hill, Gawler, Murray Bridge, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie
26 places in our search index
Australian Central Standard Time
Australia/Darwin		UTC+9:30NoneDarwin, Alice Springs, Katherine, McMinns Lagoon, Tennant Creek, Yulara, Pine Creek, Adelaide River
10 places in our search index
Australian Eastern Standard Time / Australian Eastern Daylight Time
Australia/Sydney, Australia/Melbourne, Australia/Hobart		UTC+10 / UTC+11Sun, Apr 5: back to UTC+10; Sun, Oct 4: forward to UTC+11Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Canberra, Cranbourne, Wollongong, Geelong, Ballarat
92 places in our search index
Australian Eastern Standard Time
Australia/Brisbane		UTC+10NoneBrisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, Townsville, Toowoomba, Mackay, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast
54 places in our search index

Place assignments come from an open city dataset and can contain errors. Examples far from their zone are hidden. Search any place in the converter to check its zone.

Upcoming national holidays in Australia

Offices and banks are often closed, which matters as much as the time difference when you schedule. National public and bank holidays only; regional and many religious holidays are not listed.

DateHoliday
Fri, Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day
Sat, Dec 26, 2026Boxing Day
Mon, Dec 28, 2026Boxing Day (substitute day)
Fri, Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day
Tue, Jan 26, 2027Australia Day
Fri, Mar 26, 2027Good Friday
Sat, Mar 27, 2027Easter Saturday
Sun, Mar 28, 2027Easter Sunday
Mon, Mar 29, 2027Easter Monday
Sun, Apr 25, 2027Anzac Day
Sat, Dec 25, 2027Christmas Day
Sun, Dec 26, 2027Boxing Day

Source: date-holidays (CC BY 3.0), generated 2026-10-22. Governments can add or move holidays; confirm important dates locally. About our data.

Questions about time in Australia

How many time zones does Australia have?

The time zone database groups Australia into 5 distinct sets of clock rules: Australian Western Standard Time (UTC+8); Australian Central Standard Time / Australian Central Daylight Time (UTC+9:30/UTC+10:30); Australian Central Standard Time (UTC+9:30); Australian Eastern Standard Time / Australian Eastern Daylight Time (UTC+10/UTC+11); Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC+10).

Does Australia observe daylight saving time?

Australian Central Standard Time / Australian Central Daylight Time: back on Sunday, April 5, 2026, forward on Sunday, October 4, 2026. Australian Eastern Standard Time / Australian Eastern Daylight Time: back on Sunday, April 5, 2026, forward on Sunday, October 4, 2026. Other zones in Australia do not change their clocks.

What are the national public holidays in Australia in 2026?

New Year's Day (January 1), Australia Day (January 26), Good Friday (April 3), Easter Saturday (April 4), Easter Sunday (April 5), Easter Monday (April 6), Anzac Day (April 25), Christmas Day (December 25), Boxing Day (December 26), Boxing Day (substitute day) (December 28).

City guides in Australia

Abbreviations used here

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