Dates to keep in mind for public holidays in Australia

Having a good grasp on public holidays is an important aspect of payroll and leave management. This holds true especially if your organisation operates across Australia, as states and territories have different public holidays. Knowing when to give people time off ensures that you meet compliance requirements and keeps your employees happy. 

In this article, we’ll go over Australia’s public holidays for each state/territory. We’ll discuss provisions for holidays that fall on a weekend and give an overview of substitute holidays and show holidays where they apply. 

How many public holidays in Australia? 

Australia has eight public holidays under the National Employment Standards (NES): 

The NES applies to all employees covered by the national workplace relations system, regardless of any award, registered agreement, or employment contract. Under the NES, employees are not required to work on a public holiday. Employers can make a request, which employees can refuse. 

Each state and territory government declares its own public holidays. The public holidays you observe may vary based on the area where your business operates.  

Australian public holidays per state/territory 

What follows is a listing of public holidays for each state or territory, arranged in alphabetical order.  

To help you track these holidays, use an HR management system that suits the size and type of your organisation. Choose from among the best HR software vendors in Australia.  

Australian Capital Territory 

There are 13 public holidays in the Australian Capital Territory for 2025: 

Aside from these public holidays, the ACT follows bank holidays under the Holidays Act 1958. Under this law, a bank holiday is observed on the first Monday of August.  

Not everyone gets time off on bank holidays, so you and your employees should check the enterprise agreement or award that applies.  

New South Wales  

Under the Retail Trading Act 2008, banks in NSW are required to close on the first Monday in August. A bank holiday is not considered a public holiday.  

Special rules apply if these public holidays fall on a weekend: 

• New Year’s Day 
• Christmas Day 
• Boxing Day 

When that happens, there will be an extra public holiday on the following Monday or Tuesday.  

If Australia Day falls on a weekend, the public holiday is moved to the following Monday. (This might not mean much to 75 percent of employees who want the option to work on Australia Day.) 

Northern Territory 

There are 12 public holidays plus two part-day holidays in the Northern Territory for 2025: 

NT also has regional public holidays to celebrate their show days: 

• Alice Springs Show Day: 4 July (Friday) 
• Tennant Creek Show Day: 11 July (Friday) 
• Katherine Show Day: 18 July (Friday) 
• Darwin Show Day: 25 July (Friday) 
• Borroloola Show Day: TBC 

The NT government has produced a map that shows which regional public holidays apply to specific areas.  

Queensland 

Queensland has declared 12 public holidays plus a part-day holiday in 2025: 

The Royal Queensland Show (or Ekka) is the province’s largest annual event, attracting an average of 400,000 visitors. Competitions and various events are held over nine days in August in 17 regions throughout Queensland.  

The Queensland government has a list of dates for Ekka and other show holidays.  

South Australia 

South Australia has 12 public holidays lined up for 2025 plus two part-day holidays: 

The Public Holidays Act 2023 states some rules if certain holidays fall on a weekend: 

• If Christmas or New Year’s Day falls on Saturday/Sunday: the following Monday is also a public holiday aside from that day 

• If Proclamation Day falls on a Saturday: the following Monday is also a public holiday aside from that day 

• If Proclamation Day falls on Sunday/Monday: the following Tuesday is also a public holiday aside from that day 

• If Australia Day falls on a Saturday/Sunday: the following Tuesday becomes a public holiday instead of that day  

Tasmania 

There are 10 public holidays in Tasmania for 2025: 

In certain areas of Tasmania, the Royal Hobart Regatta is observed on 10 February (Monday). The rest of the state has Recreation Day as a public holiday on 3 November (Monday). 

In Tasmania, Labour Day is known as Eight Hours Day. It’s in honour of the slogan “Eight Hours Labour, Eight Hours Recreation, Eight Hours Rest.” This was what the labour movement fought for, having been used to 10- to 16-hour workdays, six days a week. 

Like a few other states, Tasmania recognises substitute holidays. If these holidays fall on a weekend, the public holiday is observed on the following Monday: 

• New Year’s Day 
• Australia Day 
• Christmas Day 
• Boxing Day 

Special rules apply to Christmas Day and Boxing Day: 

• If Christmas Day falls on a Saturday: that day and the following Monday are holidays 
• If Christmas Day falls on a Sunday: that day and the following Tuesday are holidays 
• If Boxing Day falls on a Saturday: Monday is the public holiday 
• If Boxing Day falls on a Sunday: the following Tuesday is the public holiday 

Different parts of Tasmania also observe regional holidays – here’s a complete list.  

Victoria 

The following are declared public holidays in Victoria for 2025: 

The Friday before the AFL Grand Final usually falls on the last Friday in September. Visit the Victoria government website to find out the exact date.  

Western Australia 

There are 11 public holidays in WA for 2025: 

The King’s Birthday public holiday is observed on different dates in these areas: 

• City of Karratha 
• Town of Port Hedland 

The local government districts set the dates for this public holiday. This means that unlike the rest of WA, 29 September is not a public holiday in these two areas. 

If the following holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday, the succeeding Monday is also a public holiday: 

• New Year’s Day 
• Anzac Day 
• Christmas Day 

If 26 January, Australia Day, falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is the public holiday. 

If Boxing Day is on a Saturday, the following Monday will also be a public holiday. If it falls on a Sunday or Monday, the next Tuesday will be considered a public holiday as well.

Which Australian state has more public holidays? 

ACT and Victoria have the most public holidays with 13 days each. In 2024, there were reports of a new public holiday possibly being introduced in Victoria. The plan was opposed by national employer association Ai Group. 

Public holidays pay rate 

Do employees get public holidays off? 

Yes. By law, all employees in Australia are entitled to take the day off on public holidays. However, employers can ask employees to work on a public holiday if the request is reasonable. Employees can decline this request. 

What does “reasonable request” mean? Under the Fair Work Act, some factors to consider include: 

• the type of workplace 
• the nature of the role 
• the employee’s responsibilities outside of work 
• how much advanced notice was given in making the request 

See Section 114 of the Fair Work Act for more information. If you’d like to see a case study, here’s a Federal Court ruling on mine workers who were required to work on a holiday. 

Do employees get paid on public holidays? 

When working on public holidays, employees are guaranteed to receive at least their base pay rate. And depending on the industry and employment agreements, they may also receive additional benefits such as: 

• public holiday rates or penalty rates 
• an additional day off or extra annual leave 
• minimum shift lengths on public holidays 
• the option to substitute a public holiday for another day off 

If an employee is absent from work on a public holiday, they are entitled to receive their base pay rate for the ordinary hours they would have worked. This is regardless of whether they are full-time or part-time employees.  

Why public holidays are important 

Public holidays are a time for employees to rest, recharge, and spend the day with loved ones. These days are also opportunities to celebrate with their communities through show holidays and events. In some cases, they're simply a great excuse to have fun at the races! 

Because public holidays are part of Australia’s labour laws, organisations should stay on top of these dates. Remember to: 

• keep track of public holidays across states and territories 
• refer to federal and state law 
• check the relevant award or enterprise agreement that applies 

That should make public holidays a truly enjoyable time for everyone. 

What public holidays do your employees look forward to the most? Let us know in the comments below