What are the public holidays in Australia?
Public holidays form part of the National Employment Standards (NES),and are a mix of nationally celebrated days and holidays specific to each state and territory.
They are non-working days, and workers typically receive full paid leave apart from their annual leave. Those who work on public holidays receive additional penalty rates of pay.
When a public holiday falls on a weekend, it is generally observed on the following Monday. If a public holiday falls on a Friday or Monday, the three-day period is colloquially referred to as a “long weekend.”
Public holidays 2023
The nationally recognised public holidays are:
| Public holiday |
Date |
|
New Year’s Day |
Sunday, 1 January |
|
Additional public holiday for New Year’s Day |
Monday, 2 January |
| Australia Day |
Thursday, 26 January |
|
Good Friday |
Friday, 7 April |
|
Day following Good Friday |
Saturday, 8 April |
|
Easter Sunday |
Sunday, 9 April |
|
Easter Monday |
Monday, 10 April |
| Anzac Day |
Tuesday, 25 April |
| Christmas Day |
Monday, 25 December |
| Boxing Day |
Tuesday, 26 December |
Other public holidays declared by the state and territory governments:
Australian Capital Territory
|
Public holiday |
Date |
|
Canberra Day |
Monday, 13 March |
|
Reconciliation Day |
Monday, 29 May |
| Sovereign’s Birthday |
Monday, 12 June |
| Labour Day |
Monday, 2 October |
New South Wales
|
Public holiday |
Date |
|
King’s Birthday |
Monday, 12 June |
| Labour Day |
Monday, 2 October |
Northern Territory
| Public holiday |
Date |
| May Day | Monday, 1 May |
|
King’s Birthday |
Monday, 12 June |
| Alice Springs Show Day* |
Friday, 7 July |
| Tennant Creek Show Day* |
Friday, 14 July |
|
Katherine Show Day* |
Friday, 21 July |
|
Darwin Show Day* |
Friday, 28 July |
| Picnic Day |
Monday, 7 August |
| Borroloola Show Day* |
Friday, 18 August |
*Regional observance only
Queensland
|
Public holiday |
Date |
|
Labour Day |
Monday, 1 May |
| Ekka Wednesday* |
Wednesday, 16 August |
| King’s Birthday |
Monday, 2 October |
*Brisbane only
South Australia
|
Public holiday |
Date |
|
Adelaide Cup Day |
Monday, 13 March |
|
Ekka Wednesday* |
Wednesday, 16 August |
|
King’s Birthday |
Monday, 12 June |
| Labour Day |
Monday, 2 October |
| Proclamation Day |
Tuesday, 26 December |
Tasmania
|
Public holiday |
Date |
| Devonport Cup* | Wednesday, 11 January |
|
Royal Hobart Regatta* |
Monday, 13 February |
| Launceston Cup* |
Wednesday, 22 February |
| King Island Show* |
Tuesday, 7 March |
|
Eight Hours Day |
Monday, 11 March |
|
Eight Hours Day |
Monday, 11 March |
| Easter Tuesday** |
Tuesday, 11 April |
| AGFEST* |
Friday, 5 May |
|
King’s Birthday |
Monday, 12 June |
|
Burnie Show* |
Friday, 6 October |
|
Royal Launceston Show* |
Thursday, 12 October |
|
Flinders Island Show* |
Friday, 20 October |
| Royal Hobart Show* |
Thursday, 26 October |
| Recreation Day* |
Monday, 6 November |
| Devonport Show* |
Friday, 1 December |
*Regional observance only
**Restricted public holiday in Tasmania. Observed by some awards/agreements and the State Public Service
Victoria
|
Public holiday |
Date |
|
Labour Day |
Monday, 13 March |
|
Saturday before Easter Sunday |
Saturday, 8 April |
| King’s Birthday |
Monday, 12 June |
| AFL Grand Final Friday |
TBA |
| Melbourne Cup Day |
Tuesday, 7 November: |
Western Australia
|
Public holiday |
Date |
| Labour Day |
Monday, 6 March |
| Western Australia Day |
Monday, 5 June |
| King’s Birthday |
Monday, 25 September |
*Regional areas in Western Australia may celebrate the King’s Birthday Public Holiday on an alternative date
Notes:These are the 2023 public holidays in Australia, but dates may change. Check the Australian government’s public holiday schedule for updates.
Pay and wages on public holiday
Working on public holiday
Employees get paid at least their base pay rate for all hours worked on public holidays.
When working on a public holiday, an employee is entitled to receive a higher rate of pay than their normal hourly rate. This is commonly referred to as “public holiday rates” or “penalty rates”.
The exact rate of pay will depend on the employee’s award or enterprise agreement (EA), as well as the specific public holiday in question.
To calculate the public holiday rate, you will need to know the employee’s regular hourly rate of pay and the applicable penalty rate for the public holiday.
For example:
Lily’s ordinary hourly rate is AU$35, and the penalty rate for the public holiday is 250%,
She should be paid AU$87.50 per hour worked on public holiday (AU$35 x 250% = AU$87.50).
Not working on public holiday
Employees (except casual employees) who normally work on the day a public holiday falls will be paid their base pay rate for the ordinary hours they would have worked if they had not been away because of the public holiday.
The base pay rate doesn’t include:
- any incentive-based payments
- bonuses
- loadings
- monetary allowances
- overtime or
- penalty rates.
|
Condition |
Example |
| Ordinary hours and overtime hours falling on a public holiday | John is a full-time employee who usually works overtime on Wednesdays and gets paid extra for these hours.
On New Year’s Day, a public holiday, he doesn’t work but still receives his regular pay for the standard hours he would have worked. He doesn’t get overtime pay as he didn’t work any extra hours on the public holiday. |
| No ordinary hours on a public holiday | John is a part-time employee who works from Monday to Wednesday every week.
Since Boxing Day falls on a Friday this year, John won’t be paid for the public holiday since he isn’t rostered to work on Fridays. |
| Public holidays during a period of annual leave | Alex, a full-time employee, has planned 10 days of annual leave, including Anzac Day, which falls on a Monday.
Since Alex works on Mondays, they will be paid for the public holiday, and only 9 days will be deducted from their annual leave balance. |
| Unpaid leave and public holidays | If an employee is on unpaid leave during a public holiday, they will not be paid for that holiday. |
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