Australia has 7 nationally recognised public holidays: New Year's Day (1 January), Australia Day (26 January), Good Friday, Easter Monday, ANZAC Day (25 April), Christmas Day (25 December), and Boxing Day (26 December). However, each state and territory can declare additional regional public holidays, and some dates like Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday are observed in certain states but not others. The total number varies by state—typically between 10 and 14 public holidays per year depending on where you live.

Under Australia's federal system, each state and territory government has the authority to declare its own public holidays. This means Labour Day falls in March in Victoria and Tasmania, May in Queensland and the NT, and October in NSW, SA, and the ACT. Similarly, the King's Birthday is celebrated in June in most states but in October in Queensland and September in Western Australia. Some states also have unique holidays like Melbourne Cup Day (VIC), Adelaide Cup Day (SA), and Picnic Day (NT).

In most Australian states, if a public holiday (like New Year's Day, Australia Day, Christmas Day, or Boxing Day) falls on a Saturday or Sunday, an additional substitute public holiday is granted on the following Monday (or Tuesday, in some complex cases involving Christmas and Boxing Day). ANZAC Day is a notable exception—most states do not provide a substitute day if it falls on a weekend, though Western Australia, SA, the ACT, and the NT may grant a substitute in certain circumstances. Our tool automatically calculates substitute holidays where applicable.

Easter Sunday is calculated as the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox (around 21 March in the Southern Hemisphere's autumn context, using the ecclesiastical calendar). This means Easter can fall anywhere between 22 March and 25 April. Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday is the day after. Our tool uses the standard Gregorian algorithm to accurately compute Easter for any given year. In 2025, Easter Sunday falls on 20 April.

Yes, ANZAC Day (25 April) is a public holiday in all Australian states and territories. It commemorates the landing at Gallipoli in 1915 and honours all Australians who have served in military operations. Unlike most other public holidays, ANZAC Day has restricted trading hours in many states—most retail shops cannot open until 1:00 PM on this day. If ANZAC Day falls on a weekend, most states do not grant a substitute weekday holiday, though a few jurisdictions (WA, SA, ACT, NT) may offer one under specific conditions.

The King's Birthday (formerly Queen's Birthday) is observed on different dates across Australia:

Second Monday in June: NSW, VIC, SA, TAS, ACT, NT
First Monday in October: QLD
Late September (usually last Monday): WA

Interestingly, the actual birthday of the monarch is not on this date—the holiday is a ceremonial tradition. Queensland moved its observance to October in 2016, and Western Australia sets its own date each year, typically in September.

Each state has its own character:

Victoria: Melbourne Cup Day (first Tuesday in November) and AFL Grand Final Friday (late September)—unique to VIC.
South Australia: Adelaide Cup Day (second Monday in March) and Proclamation Day (26 December, or next weekday).
Western Australia: Western Australia Day (first Monday in June).
ACT: Canberra Day (second Monday in March) and Reconciliation Day (from 2018, around 27 May).
NT: Picnic Day (first Monday in August).
Queensland: Royal Queensland Show Day / Ekka (Brisbane area, typically August).
These regional holidays reflect local culture, history, and traditions.

No, public holidays and school holidays are entirely different. Public holidays are legislated days off work for most employees across the state or territory (usually 1 day each). School holidays are extended breaks (typically 2 weeks each) between school terms, occurring in April, July, September/October, and December/January. School holiday dates also vary slightly between states. Our tool only tracks official public holidays, not school term dates.

Our tool uses official state government gazette data and standard algorithms for movable dates (like Easter). It covers all major public holidays from 2023 to 2030, including substitute holidays when a public holiday falls on a weekend. Regional holidays (like local show days in specific towns) are not included unless they apply state-wide. We recommend checking with your state government website for the most authoritative list, especially for WA King's Birthday dates and AFL Grand Final Friday which can vary year to year.

No, Australia does not observe Thanksgiving, Halloween, Independence Day, or other country-specific international holidays. Australian public holidays are based on British Commonwealth traditions (Christmas, Easter, King's Birthday), national commemorations (Australia Day, ANZAC Day), and local labour/historical events (Labour Day, Melbourne Cup, etc.). Some cultural celebrations like Lunar New Year, Diwali, or Eid are celebrated by communities but are not official public holidays.