2024 Public Holidays
Below is a 2024 calendar listing of Public Holidays, School Holidays & Special Occasions celebrated in Australia. This is the place to come to plan your next holiday! All public holidays for Australia are accurate at the time of publishing but are subject to change depending on what state you live in. Please make sure you check any listed public holidays dates with your own states public holidays before booking any holidays.
2024 List of Australian Public Holidays,
Special Occasions & School Holidays
Below you will find a listing of 2023 public holidays and special occasions (such as Mother’s Day, Fathers’s Day) for each State and Territory in Australia. Public holidays dates may be different depending on the state or territory you live in.
All States public holidays and special occasions 2024:
Individual States – Public holidays & school holiday & term breaks 2024:
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
What are the meanings of Australia’s Public Holidays & Special Occasions?
Australia Day
Australia day is a national holiday and is celebrated in every state of Australia. Its great to be Australian and on this public holiday there are plenty of events held around the country to celebrate. It is a day of national pride and a chance to celebrate our cultural diversity.
Valentines Day
In Australia, gifts of love are exchanged on Valentines Day. The 14th February each year is the day on which lovers express their love for each other – sending Valentine’s cards, roses, chocolates, and gifts often anonymously.
Easter
In Australia there is a public holiday on Good Friday and Easter Monday providing families with the time to have fun together, do family activities such as decorating Easter Eggs and having Easter Egg hunts and travelling away on holidays . On Good Friday, every shop is closed and it is the only day of the year that newspapers are unavailable. In Australia there are many Easter festivals held throughout the Easter break.
ANZAC Day
ANZAC- Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Anzac day is when Australians come together and spend time remembering the sacrifices of those who died in war protecting our country. ANZAC day is a public holiday in Australia. ANZAC day in Australia is the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.
Mother’s Day
Mothers Day in Australia is a special day for mothers where families often get together. Some may get breakfast in bed, others gifts of roses and flowers – all a sign of appreciation and love.
Queens Birthday
The Queen’s Birthday is celebrated as a public holiday in Australia. The date of the celebration is on the second Monday in June each year. The real birthday of Queen Elizabeth II is the 21 April 1926. Australians celebrate the Queens Birthday in June because if a public holiday was held on 21 April each year, it would coincide with Easter in many years and also be positioned very close to Anzac Day.
Father’s Day
Fathers Day in Australia is a chance for families to get together and celebrate in similar way to Mother’s Day. Dads are spoilt and made to feel special. In Australia and New Zealand, fathers are honoured the first Sunday in September. Other countries celebrate fathers throughout the year.
“By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.”Charles Wadsworth
Melbourne Cup Day
Melbourne Cup Day is a public holiday for the Melbourne metropolitan area, and is Australia’s major horse racing event.
Christmas Day
Christmas Day in Australia is often spent with family . Gatherings of friends and families centred around food – whether it is a traditional Christmas lunch, or an Aussie style event with prawns on the BBQ everyone looks forward to this time of year.
Boxing Day
Boxing Day in Australia is a public holiday that falls the day after Christmas. Boxing Day originated in England where the day after Christmas Day was spent “boxing” gifts and giving them to the less fortunate. A quiet day is often spent recovering from the lead up to Christmas and the festivities of Christmas Day by watching the Cricket (Boxing Day Test match) or the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race on TV. Many Australians also head off on holidays or prepare for the next celebration – New Years Eve!
New Years Day / New Years Eve
New Years Eve is often celebrated in Australia by partying in large groups at public venues with fireworks going off at midnight. All of the major cities in Australia have events organised to help celebrate the transition from one year to the next. New Years Day is a Public Holiday.
Labour Day
The Labour Day Holiday date is different for each State of Australia and is set by their respective state and territory governments. Labour Day in Australia has its origins in the eight hour day movement – their efforts resulted in the introduction of eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for sleep.
Canberra Day
Canberra Day is a public holiday in the Australian Capital Territory and is observed on the second Monday of March each year. The day commemorates Canberra’s official founding way back in 1913. It is highlighted by a major festival that takes part in Canberra. Canberra Day is a public holiday in the ACT with many businesses closing for the day.
Eight Hours Day
The Eight Hours Day was introduced to Tasmanians in March 2006. In 1874, Tasmania became the last State of Australia to earn the shorter working day.
Foundation Day
Foundation Day is a uniquely Western Australian public holiday. It commemorates the day that the first European settlers arrived in Western Australia to found the Swan River Colony on 1 June 1829. Foundation Day is held on the first Monday in June each year.
All 2024 Public Holidays & Special Occasions Australia
🇦🇺 2024 Australian Capital Territory Public Holidays
Information on public holidays in the ACT including regional holidays see here.
ACT School Holidays 2024
🏖 Australian Capital Territory School Holiday and Term Breaks
🇦🇺 2024 New South Wales Public Holidays
For more information on public holidays in NSW including regional holidays, see here.
NSW School Holidays 2024
🏖 New South Wales School Holiday and Term Breaks
🇦🇺 2024 Northern Territory Public Holidays
For more information on public holidays in the NT including regional holidays, see here.
NT School Holidays 2024
🏖 Northern Territory School Holiday and Term Breaks
🇦🇺 2024 Queensland Public Holidays
For more information on public holidays in QLD including regional holidays, see here.
QLD School Holidays 2024
🏖 Queensland School Holiday and Term Breaks
🇦🇺 2024 South Australia Public Holidays
For more information on public holidays in SA including regional holidays, see here
SA School Holidays 2024
🏖 South Australia School Holiday and Term Breaks
🇦🇺 2024 Tasmania Public Holidays
For more information on public holidays in TAS including regional holidays, see here
TAS School Holidays 2024
🏖 Tasmania School Holiday and Term Breaks
🇦🇺 2024 Victoria Public Holidays
For more information on public holidays in VIC including regional holidays, see here.
VIC School Holidays 2024
🏖 Victoria School Holiday and Term Breaks
🇦🇺 2024 Western Australia Public Holidays
For more information on public holidays in WA including.regional holidays, see here.
WA School Holidays 2024
🏖 Western Australia School Holiday and Term Breaks
All 2024 Public Holidays & Special Occasions Australia
National Public Holidays:
Monday, 1 January: New Year’s Day
Friday, 26 January: Australia Day
Friday, 29 March: Good Friday
Saturday, 30 March: Easter Saturday
Sunday, 31 March: Easter Sunday
Monday, 1 April: Easter Monday
Tuesday, 25 April: Anzac Day
Wednesday, 25 December: Christmas Day
Thursday, 26 December: Boxing Day
2024 public holidays
This is the list of 2024 public holidays for each state and territory in Australia. Public holidays can be different depending on the state or territory you’re in.
Find what the public holidays are in your state or territory by selecting from the list below.
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
Australian Capital Territory
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
- Monday 11 March – Canberra Day
- Friday 29 March – Good Friday
- Saturday 30 March – Easter Saturday – the day after Good Friday
- Sunday 31 March – Easter Sunday
- Monday 1 April – Easter Monday
- Thursday 25 April – Anzac Day
- Monday 27 May – Reconciliation Day
- Monday 10 June – King’s Birthday
- Monday 7 October – Labour Day
- Wednesday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Thursday 26 December – Boxing Day
For more information on public holidays in the Australian Capital Territory (for example, regional holidays), contact the ACT Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate
New South Wales
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
- Friday 29 March – Good Friday
- Saturday 30 March – Easter Saturday
- Sunday 31 March – Easter Sunday
- Monday 1 April – Easter Monday
- Thursday 25 April – Anzac Day
- Monday 10 June – King’s Birthday
- Monday 7 October – Labour Day
- Wednesday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Thursday 26 December – Boxing Day
For more information on public holidays in New South Wales (for example, regional holidays), contact the NSW Government
Northern Territory
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
- Friday 29 March – Good Friday
- Saturday 30 March – Easter Saturday
- Sunday 31 March – Easter Sunday
- Monday 1 April – Easter Monday
- Thursday 25 April – Anzac Day
- Monday 6 May – May Day
- Monday 10 June – June public holiday (King’s Birthday)
- Monday 5 August – Picnic Day
- Tuesday 24 December – Christmas Eve (from 7pm to midnight)
- Wednesday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Thursday 26 December – Boxing Day
- Tuesday 31 December – New Year’s Eve (from 7pm to midnight)
For more information on public holidays in the Northern Territory (for example, show days and other regional holidays), contact the NT Government
Queensland
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
- Friday 29 March – Good Friday
- Saturday 30 March – The day after Good Friday
- Sunday 31 March – Easter Sunday
- Monday 1 April – Easter Monday
- Thursday 25 April – Anzac Day
- Monday 6 May – Labour Day
- Wednesday 14 August – Royal Queensland Show (Brisbane area only)
- Monday 7 October – King’s Birthday
- Tuesday 24 December – Christmas Eve (from 6pm to midnight)
- Wednesday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Thursday 26 December – Boxing Day
For more information on public holidays in Queensland (for example, regional holidays), contact the Queensland Government
South Australia
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
- Monday 11 March – Adelaide Cup Day (subject to proclamation)
- Friday 29 March – Good Friday
- Saturday 30 March – Easter Saturday
- Monday 1 April – Easter Monday
- Thursday 25 April – Anzac Day
- Monday 10 June – King’s Birthday
- Monday 7 October – Labour Day
- Tuesday 24 December – Christmas Eve (from 7pm to midnight)
- Wednesday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Thursday 26 December – Proclamation Day public holiday / Boxing Day
- Tuesday 31 December – New Year’s Eve (from 7pm to midnight)
For more information on public holidays in South Australia (for example, Sunday public holidays and regional holidays), contact SafeWork SA
Tasmania
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
- Monday 12 February – Royal Hobart Regatta (only observed in certain areas of the state)
- Monday 11 March – Eight Hours Day
- Friday 29 March – Good Friday
- Monday 1 April – Easter Monday
- Tuesday 2 April – Easter Tuesday (generally Tasmanian Public Service only)
- Thursday 25 April – Anzac Day
- Monday 10 June – King’s Birthday
- Monday 4 November – Recreation Day (areas of the state that don’t observe Royal Hobart Regatta)
- Wednesday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Thursday 26 December – Boxing Day
For more information on public holidays in Tasmania (for example, regional holidays), contact WorkSafe Tasmania
Victoria
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
- Monday 11 March – Labour Day
- Friday 29 March – Good Friday
- Saturday 30 March – Saturday before Easter Sunday
- Sunday 31 March – Easter Sunday
- Monday 1 April – Easter Monday
- Thursday 25 April – Anzac Day
- Monday 10 June – King’s Birthday
- Subject to AFL schedule (date TBC) – Friday before AFL Grand Final
- Tuesday 5 November – Melbourne Cup
- Wednesday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Thursday 26 December – Boxing Day
For more information on public holidays in Victoria (for example, regional holidays), contact Business Victoria
Western Australia
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
- Monday 4 March – Labour Day
- Friday 29 March – Good Friday
- Sunday 31 March – Easter Sunday
- Monday 1 April – Easter Monday
- Thursday 25 April – Anzac Day
- Monday 3 June – Western Australia Day
- Monday 23 September – King’s Birthday (some regional areas in WA hold the King’s Birthday public holiday on a different date)
- Wednesday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Thursday 26 December – Boxing Day
For more information on public holidays in Western Australia (for example, regional holidays), contact the WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety