Australian public holiday calendar
List public holidays for a year in a chosen state or territory, including many observed-Monday rules.
What the result means
Public holidays are gazetted rest days. Some are observed everywhere — New Year’s Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Others exist only in one state, and several move to a Monday when the gazetted date falls on a weekend.
How it is calculated
National set + state extras + observed-Monday rules + Easter from the Anonymous Gregorian algorithm
- Year: The calendar year to list.
- Jurisdiction: Which extra holidays and which substitution rules apply.
The same holiday table drives the business-days calculator.
Assumptions
- Estimates only — not tax, legal, credit or financial advice. Check the official source or your contract before relying on a figure.
- Not an official gazette extract.
- Local show days and some council holidays may be missing.
Worked example
Christmas on a Friday
When Christmas Day is Friday, Boxing Day is Saturday and usually has a Monday substitute.
- 25 December
- Christmas Day — Friday, observed that day
- 26 December
- Boxing Day — Saturday
- Monday after
- Usually listed as the Boxing Day substitute
Open the year you care about rather than memorising a single calendar. Easter in particular moves, and Labour Day is a different date in almost every state.
Confirm before you roster or close a shop
Local show days, some council holidays and a few one-off proclamations are omitted. Easter is calculated from the civil algorithm; other dates use weekday substitution rules that match typical national practice. Always check the Fair Work Ombudsman and the relevant state gazette before you treat a date as an employment holiday.
The same table drives the business-days calculator, so a holiday that is missing here is also missing from a business-day count. That is conservative for a deadline and dangerous for a roster — if a local show day applies to your workplace, add it yourself.
Substitute days are not the original holiday
When Christmas is a Saturday, the Monday is usually an observed holiday and Saturday may still be Christmas. Whether an employee is paid for both, or for one, is an award question, not a calendar one. This list shows the dates people treat as public holidays for counting working days; it does not decide penalty rates.
Questions
Is Easter Monday always included?
Yes in this table, nationally. Easter Sunday is only listed for some jurisdictions. Check the state list rather than assuming Sunday is a public holiday at work.
Why does my state have a holiday another state does not?
Holidays are declared by each state and territory. Melbourne Cup, Adelaide Cup, Royal Queensland Show (for much of Brisbane) and the various Labour Days are the usual examples. The public holidays guide walks through which ones are national.
Can I use this list to refuse to work?
No. Whether you can be required to work, and what you must be paid, is set by your award or agreement and by the Fair Work Act. This page names dates.
Read the background
These guides explain the rules behind this calculation in full, without any inputs to fill in.
- How business days are counted in AustraliaInclusive counts, weekends, state public holidays and the difference between counting between two dates and adding days to one.7 min read
- Australian public holidays, state by stateWhich holidays are national, which are local, how substitute days work when a holiday falls on a weekend, and why Easter moves each year.8 min read
Related calculators
- Business daysCount Australian business days between two dates, or add and subtract working days, with national and state public holidays.
- Workdays / yearCount weekdays minus public holidays in a calendar year for an Australian state or territory.
- Add daysAdd or subtract a number of calendar days from a date, including month and year boundaries.
Sources
Fair Work Ombudsman
National dates and substitute-day practice · Last reviewed 2026-09-07
Dates & time · Last reviewed 19 August 2026
Estimates only. Not tax, legal or financial advice. Check official sources before relying on a figure.
Spotted a mistake? Contact us.
Printed from OzCalc (ozcalc.com). Last reviewed 19 August 2026. Estimates only — not tax, legal or financial advice.