Australia public holidays in 2019 and 2020

The calendar of public holidays in Australia is a very complex one. While only seven holidays are celebrated nation-wide, each of the country’s states and territories observes their own holidays and have autonomy to determine the date for some of them each year.

Australia Day parades attract crowds.

See below the list of national public holidays in Australia (common to the entire country):

*ANZAC Day commemorates the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought during WWI.

Please note that all public holidays falling on a weekend are usually celebrated on the Monday after (substitute public holiday), depending on the territory or state.

Australia administrative division.

New Year’s and Australia Day falling on a Saturday or Sunday are always observed on the Monday after the weekend.

All other holidays, not included in the table above are individually declared by the states and territories. Apart from the national public holidays each of the states and territories celebrates:

Australian Capital Territory public holidays

• Canberra Day – 2^nd Monday in March. In 2019: 11 March; in 2020: 9 March.
• The day after Good Friday (Easter Saturday). In 2019: 20 April; in 2020: 11 April.
• Easter Sunday. In 2019: 21 April; in 2020: 12 April.
• Queens’s Birthday – 2^nd Monday of June. In 2019: 10 June; in 2020: 8 June.
• Reconciliation Day – 1^st Monday after on on 27 May. In 2019: 27 May; in 2020: 1 June.
• Labour Day – 1^st Monday of October. In 2019: 7 October; in 2020.

Queensland public holidays: 5 October

• The day after Good Friday (Easter Saturday). In 2019: 20 April; in 2020: 11 April.
• Easter Sunday. In 2019: 21 April; in 2020: 12 April.
• Labour Day – on the first Monday of May. In 2019: 6 May; in 2020: 4 May.
• Royal Queensland Show (in Brisbane only). A variable date; in 2019 – 14 August (Wednesday); in 2020: 9 August (Friday).
• Queen’s Birthday – on the 1^st Monday of October. In 2019: 7 October; in 2020.

Victoria public holidays

• Labour Day – 2^nd Monday of March. In 2019: 11 March; in 2020: 9 March.
• The day after Good Friday (Easter Saturday). In 2019: 20 April; in 2020: 11 April
• Easter Sunday. In 2019: 21 April; in 2020: 12 April.
• Queens’s Birthday – 2^nd Monday of June. In 2019: 10 June; in 2020: 8 June.
• Friday before the Australian Football League Grand Final – variable date. Dates for 2019 and 2020 to be defined.
• Melbourne Cup – 1^st Tuesday of November. In 2019: 5 November; in 2020: 3 November.

Northern Territory public holidays

• The day after Good Friday (Easter Saturday). In 2019: 20 April; in 2020: 11 April
• May Day – 1^st Monday in May. In 2019: 6 May; in 2020: 4 May.
• Queens’s Birthday – 2^nd Monday of June. In 2019: 10 June; in 2020: 8 June.
• Picnic Day – 1^st Monday in August. In 2019: 5 August; in 2020: 3 August.

New South Wales public holidays

• The day after Good Friday (Easter Saturday). In 2019: 20 April; in 2020: 11 April.
• Queens’s Birthday – 2^nd Monday of June. In 2019: 10 June; in 2020: 8 June. 
• Bank Holiday – 1^st Monday of August; applies to banks and other financial institutions. In 2019: 5 August; in 2020: 3 August.
• Labour Day – 1^st Monday of October. In 2019: 7 October; in 2020: 5 October.

South Australia public holidays

• Adelaide Cup – 2^nd Monday in March. In 2019: 11 March; in 2020: 9 March.
• The day after Good Friday (Easter Saturday). In 2019: 20 April; in 2020: 11 April.
• Queens’s Birthday – 2^nd Monday of June. In 2019: 10 June; in 2020: 8 June.
• Labour Day – 1^st Monday of October. In 2019: 7 October; in 2020: 5 October
• South Wales observes part-day public holidays, from 7 pm to midnight on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Western Australia

• Labour Day – 1^st Monday of March. In 2019: 4 March; in 2020: 2 March.
• Western Australia Day – 1^st Monday of June. In 2019: 3 June; in 2020: 1 June.
• Queen’s Birthday – as proclaimed by the Governor of Western Australia. In 2019: 30 September; in 2020: 28 September.

Tasmania public holidays

• Royal Hobart Regatta – 2^nd Monday of February. In 2019: 11 February; in 2020: 10 February.
• Eight Hours Day – 2^nd Monday of March. In 2019: 11 March; in 2020: 9 March.
• Queens’s Birthday – 2^nd Monday of June. In 2019: 10 June; in 2020: 8 June.
• Recreation Day – 1^st Monday in November.  In 2019: 4 November; in 2020: 2 November.

Se also: Australia tourism official website.