Public Holidays in Australia 2027: Key Dates for HR Teams

As HR professionals, being ahead of the curve on public holiday dates is crucial for managing staffing, planning leave, and ensuring compliance with employment laws. In Australia, public holidays vary by state and territory, and 2027 has a few twists: Anzac Day falls on a Sunday, and Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on a weekend, so every state adds or moves days in different ways.

Every state and territory has its own public holidays in addition to the national days that are observed countrywide. From Australia Day and Anzac Day to regional observances such as Canberra Day or the Royal Queensland Show, HR teams must pinpoint each applicable holiday to ensure smooth operations. Some states also have part-day public holidays on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

All dates below are taken from the official state and territory government websites and the Fair Work Ombudsman's 2027 public holidays list.

National Public Holidays in Australia 2027

These holidays are observed in every state and territory, although the substitute days differ:

Date	Holiday	Notes
Friday 1 January	New Year's Day	All states and territories
Tuesday 26 January	Australia Day	All states and territories
Friday 26 March	Good Friday	All states and territories
Monday 29 March	Easter Monday	All states and territories
Sunday 25 April	Anzac Day	Extra or moved day on Monday 26 April in NSW, WA, ACT, QLD and NT (see below)
Monday 14 June	King's Birthday	All except Queensland (4 October) and Western Australia (27 September)
Saturday 25 December	Christmas Day	Additional day on Monday 27 December everywhere
Sunday 26 December	Boxing Day	Additional day on Tuesday 28 December everywhere (in Tasmania, Boxing Day itself moves to 28 December; in South Australia, 26 December is the Proclamation Day holiday)

Public Holidays 2027 by State and Territory

On top of the national days, each state and territory has its own holidays and rules for Easter, Anzac Day and Labour Day.

New South Wales

• Easter Saturday (27 March) and Easter Sunday (28 March)
• Additional day for Anzac Day: Monday 26 April
• Labour Day: Monday 4 October
• Bank Holiday on Monday 2 August applies to banks only and is not a general public holiday

Source: nsw.gov.au

Victoria

• Labour Day: Monday 8 March
• Saturday before Easter Sunday (27 March) and Easter Sunday (28 March)
• Anzac Day: Sunday 25 April, with no replacement day
• Friday before the AFL Grand Final: date depends on the AFL schedule and is published once the 2027 fixture is set (usually the last Friday in September)
• Melbourne Cup: Tuesday 2 November (statewide, unless a non-metropolitan council has set a local holiday instead)

Source: business.vic.gov.au

Queensland

• The day after Good Friday (27 March) and Easter Sunday (28 March)
• Anzac Day: moved to Monday 26 April
• Labour Day: Monday 3 May
• Royal Queensland Show (Ekka): Wednesday 11 August, Brisbane area only
• King's Birthday: Monday 4 October
• Christmas Eve part-day holiday: Friday 24 December, 6pm to midnight

Source: qld.gov.au

South Australia

• Adelaide Cup Day: Monday 8 March
• Easter Saturday (27 March) and Easter Sunday (28 March)
• Anzac Day: Sunday 25 April, with no additional day
• Labour Day: Monday 4 October
• Proclamation Day holiday: Sunday 26 December, with an additional day on Tuesday 28 December
• Part-day holidays on Christmas Eve (Friday 24 December) and New Year's Eve (Friday 31 December), 7pm to midnight

Source: safework.sa.gov.au

Western Australia

• Labour Day: Monday 1 March
• Easter Sunday (28 March); there is no Easter Saturday holiday
• Additional day for Anzac Day: Monday 26 April
• Western Australia Day: Monday 7 June
• King's Birthday: Monday 27 September (some regional areas observe it on a different date)

Source: wa.gov.au

Tasmania

• Royal Hobart Regatta: Monday 8 February (southern Tasmania)
• Eight Hours Day: Monday 8 March
• Easter Tuesday: 30 March, generally for the Tasmanian State Service only
• Anzac Day: Sunday 25 April, with no additional day
• Royal Hobart Show: Thursday 21 October (southern Tasmania)
• Recreation Day: Monday 1 November, in areas that don't observe the Regatta
• Boxing Day moves to Tuesday 28 December
• Several regional show and cup days, such as the Launceston Cup (24 February) and the Royal Launceston Show (7 October)

Source: worksafe.tas.gov.au

Australian Capital Territory

• Canberra Day: Monday 8 March
• Easter Saturday (27 March) and Easter Sunday (28 March)
• Anzac Day: Sunday 25 April and Monday 26 April
• Reconciliation Day: Monday 31 May
• Labour Day: Monday 4 October

Source: act.gov.au

Northern Territory

• Easter Saturday (27 March) and Easter Sunday (28 March)
• Anzac Day: moved to Monday 26 April
• May Day: Monday 3 May
• Picnic Day: Monday 2 August
• Regional show days in July and August, such as the Darwin Show Day on Friday 23 July
• Part-day holidays on Christmas Eve (Friday 24 December) and New Year's Eve (Friday 31 December), 7pm to midnight

Source: nt.gov.au

Understanding Public Holidays Legislation

When navigating public holiday legislation in Australia, it's crucial to understand employee entitlements and what happens when public holidays fall on weekends. This ensures compliance with national and state laws.

Public Holidays and Employee Entitlements

Under the National Employment Standards (NES), employees have a right to be away from work on a public holiday. Employers can request employees to work on a public holiday, but the request has to be reasonable, and an employee can refuse if they have reasonable grounds or the request is unreasonable. Employees (except casuals) who normally work on the day a public holiday falls are paid their base pay rate for the ordinary hours they would have worked (Fair Work Ombudsman).

Which days count as public holidays is set by each state and territory, so be sure to check the rules for Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Tasmania, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory. Awards and enterprise agreements may also contain their own public holiday rules, such as penalty rates or substitute days.

Public Holidays on Weekends: What HR Should Know

2027 shows how differently the states handle weekend holidays. Anzac Day falls on Sunday 25 April:

• New South Wales, Western Australia and the ACT keep the Sunday and add Monday 26 April.
• Queensland and the Northern Territory move the holiday to Monday 26 April.
• Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania have no extra day.

Christmas Day (Saturday) and Boxing Day (Sunday) lead to days off on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December in every state and territory. Check your awards and agreements too, as they determine how employees who work on the weekend day or the additional day are paid, and plan your payroll accordingly.

Get Set for 2027

Understanding Australian public holidays is crucial for HR teams to accurately manage leave entitlements and comply with local employment standards. Keep an eye on dates that are still to be confirmed, such as Victoria's AFL Grand Final holiday, and on any additional days that may be announced for special events.

flair helps you stay on top of it all. Our Absence Management system lets you integrate the public holidays of each location into your team's schedules, while our Time Tracking feature ensures accurate recording of work hours.

Find out how flair can simplify holiday planning for your team – book a free demo today.