Australia doesn’t run on a single holiday calendar. Each state and territory sets its own public holiday dates, and the differences can catch employees, payroll teams, and small business owners off guard — especially around long weekends, Easter, and King’s Birthday, which land on different dates depending on where you are. If you’re planning leave, rostering staff, or just trying to figure out when your next day off is, it pays to check the calendar for your specific state rather than assuming it matches the rest of the country.
Why State Calendars Differ
Public holidays in Australia are set at two levels: national holidays that apply everywhere (like Australia Day and Christmas Day), and state-specific holidays that vary by jurisdiction. Labour Day is a good example — it isn’t celebrated on the same date nationwide. Some states also observe unique regional holidays tied to local history, agricultural shows, or royal occasions, which is why a date that’s a public holiday in one state might be a completely ordinary working day in another.
This matters for more than just holiday planning. Public holiday pay rates, penalty rates, and rostering obligations under the Fair Work Act are all triggered by the correct state calendar, so getting the dates wrong can mean under- or over-paying staff.
Victoria
Victoria has one of the busier public holiday calendars in the country, with several dates unique to the state, including the AFL Grand Final public holiday. Because Victoria also observes its own Labour Day date (separate from other states) and a King’s Birthday holiday that doesn’t align with every jurisdiction, it’s worth checking the full list before locking in leave requests or shift schedules. You can see the complete, up-to-date list of Victoria public holidays — including 2026 dates and how they affect pay — on our dedicated calendar page.
New South Wales
NSW follows most national public holidays but has its own take on Labour Day timing and a slightly different approach to substitute holidays when a date falls on a weekend. With Sydney and regional NSW sometimes observing additional local event days, it’s easy to lose track of exactly which Mondays and Fridays are actually paid public holidays versus just popular long-weekend getaways. The full, current breakdown is available on our NSW public holidays page, including guidance on how each date affects penalty rates.
Queensland
Queensland’s calendar includes some of the most-searched dates in the country, particularly around Easter and the Ekka show holiday (which only applies in the Brisbane area, not statewide). Because QLD’s Labour Day also falls on a different date to Victoria and NSW, businesses operating across multiple states need to track each calendar separately to avoid payroll errors. Check the full list of QLD public holidays for exact 2026 dates and how they interact with public holiday pay rates.
Australian Capital Territory
The ACT calendar largely mirrors NSW but adds its own regional dates, including Canberra Day, which doesn’t appear on any other state’s calendar. If you work across the ACT and NSW border, it’s worth double-checking which holidays are shared and which are ACT-only. You’ll find the complete, current schedule on our ACT public holidays page.
Getting It Right for Payroll and Leave Planning
Whichever state you’re in, the safest approach is to check the specific calendar for that jurisdiction rather than relying on memory or a generic “Australian holidays” list — especially around Easter, Labour Day, and King’s Birthday, where dates shift most often between states. Bookmarking your state’s page and checking it each time a new year’s calendar is published is the easiest way to avoid rostering mistakes or leave-planning surprises.
