Национальный праздник австралии на английском

Public holidays in Australia refer to the holidays recognised in law in Australia. Although they are declared on a state and territory basis, they comprise a mixture of nationally celebrated days and holidays exclusive to the individual jurisdictions.

Public holidays function as non-working days, with workers generally receiving full paid leave independently of annual leave. Those working on public holidays receive additional penalty rates of pay.^[1] Where they fall on a weekend, public holidays are generally declared in lieu for the following Monday.

Statutory holidays in Australia are based on varying religious, cultural and civic observations. Christian celebrations, namely Christmas and Easter, are some of the most significant ones observed. A Labour Day is observed in each state and territory, although it is varied in date. There are two significant national days, Australia Day (26 January) and Anzac Day (25 April), which are nationwide public holidays.

When a public holiday occurs on a Friday or Monday, the three-day period is colloquially known as a «long weekend».

Nature of public holidays[edit]

Traditionally, Australians in employment (whether in the public or private sector) have had the right to take a public holiday off work with regular pay. In recent years^[when?] this tradition has changed somewhat. For example, businesses that normally open on a public holiday may request employees to work on that day. Employers can deny employees a holiday only on reasonable business grounds.^{[citation needed]}

From 2006, WorkChoices eliminated the entitlement to penalty rates in many workplaces; however since the implementation of the Fair Work Act 2009 and the modern awards in 2010, most public-holiday penalty rates have increased dramatically.^{[citation needed]} As of 2018 employees generally receive pay at a penalty rate—usually 2.5 times (known as «double time and a half») the base rate of pay—when they work on a public holiday.^{[citation needed]}

Besides designating days as public holidays, Australian authorities also designate some of these days as restricted trading days.

Public holidays are determined by a combination of:

• statutes, with specific gazetting of public holidays
• industrial awards and agreements

If a standard public holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute public holiday will sometimes be observed on the first non-weekend day (usually Monday) after the weekend, whether by virtue of the public holiday legislation or by ad hoc proclamation. Workers required to work on a public holiday or substituted public holiday will usually be entitled to remuneration at a holiday penalty rate.

All states have their own public holidays in addition to national public holidays, and in some states certain public holidays, such as Melbourne Cup Day, are in force in only part of a state.

Alcohol licences in several states prevent sale of alcohol on certain public holidays, such as Good Friday.

Public holidays[edit]

Legend:

B City of Brisbane only. The Royal National Agricultural (RNA) Show Day (Brisbane only) is held on the Wednesday during the RNA Show period. The RNA Show commences on the first Friday in August, unless the first Friday is prior to 5 August, then it commences on the second Friday of August.^[15] Other Queensland show holidays: Show holiday dates | Public, school and show holidays

C = Conditional: Public Service employees or where defined in Employment Agreement/Award^[16]

H = Hobart area only

NH = Not Hobart area

P Part day, from 7 pm to midnight (6 pm to midnight for QLD)^[17]

† Often substituted with the Geelong Cup for Geelong residents. For regional Victoria other local cup days are sometimes substituted.

* The holiday is legislated for the 3rd Monday of May. Since 2006 it has been moved via the issuing of a special Proclamation by the Governor, to the 2nd Monday of March, on a trial basis.^[18]

** Sunday is nominally a public holiday in South Australia^[18]

*** Depends on occupation, generally from 6 pm to midnight^[19]

Substitute holidays for holidays falling on a weekend[edit]

When a public holiday falls on a weekend, the following work day may be considered a public holiday depending on the state/territory and the holiday in question.

Holidays that always fall on a particular day of the week are not listed in this table. Prior to 2008, Victorian law only specified substitute holidays for New Year and Boxing Day, and only if they fell on a Sunday.^[29] From 2008, Victorian law specifies the substitute holidays in the table above.^[25]

Since Easter Monday can occur as late as 26 April it is possible for the Easter Monday holiday to coincide with Anzac Day, as occurred in 2011. State Acts do not give a provision to separate the days when this occurs, so no additional public holiday is given by law. However an extra day is usually proclaimed by the minister, so as to have a steady number of public holidays each year.^[30][31][32] In the year 2038, Anzac Day will coincide with Easter Sunday.

Australia Day[edit]

Nationally, Australia Day was originally celebrated on 30 July 1915.^[33]

Recorded celebrations of the 26 January date back to 1808 in Australia, and in 1818, Governor Lachlan Macquarie held the first official celebration of Australia Day.^[34] 26 January was chosen because it is the day of the establishment of the first British settlement at Port Jackson by Captain Arthur Phillip in 1788.^[35] It was made a public holiday in New South Wales in 1836, and Victoria adopted the day as a public holiday in 1931. The 26 January commenced to be recognised by all states and territories as Australia Day in 1946.

Australia Day has been celebrated as a national public holiday on 26 January since 1994.^[36]

Since 1960, the winner of the Australian of the Year award is announced by the Prime Minister on the eve of Australia Day (25 Jan).

Labour Day[edit]

Labour Day commemorates the achievements of the Australian labour movement. The celebration of Labour Day has its origins in the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest. On 21 April 1856 Stonemasons and building workers on building sites around Melbourne, Australia, stopped work and marched from the University of Melbourne to Parliament House to achieve an eight-hour day. Their direct action protest was a success, and they are noted as the first organised workers in the world to achieve an eight-hour day with no loss of pay, which subsequently inspired the celebration of Labour Day and May Day. In Tasmania the public holiday is called Eight Hours Day and in the Northern Territory it is called May Day.

The Labour Day public holiday varies considerably between the various states and territories. It is the first Monday in October in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and South Australia. In Western Australia, it is the first Monday in March. In both Victoria and Tasmania, it is the second Monday in March. In the Northern Territory, and in Queensland^[3] it is the first Monday in May. More than 80 countries celebrate Labor Day. Labor Day is a long weekend.

Easter[edit]

The days of Easter vary each year depending on the day determined by the Western Christian calendar. Until 1994 Easter Tuesday was a Bank Holiday in Victoria (it retains this status partially in Tasmania). The day after Good Friday and before Easter Sunday is traditionally known as Holy Saturday. However, the states where that day is a public holiday use different terminology – it is officially gazetted as «Easter Saturday» in the ACT, New South Wales, and the Northern Territory;^[4][5][6] as «the day after Good Friday» in Queensland and South Australia;^[7][8] and as «Saturday before Easter Sunday» in Victoria.^[10]

ANZAC Day[edit]

ANZAC Day is a day on which the country remembers those citizens who fell fighting or who served the country in wars. ANZAC Day is commemorated on 25 April every year. The tradition began to remember the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) soldiers who landed at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I.

ANZAC Day commemoration features marches by veterans and by solemn «Dawn Services», a tradition started in Albany, Western Australia on 25 April 1923 and now held at war memorials around the country, accompanied by thoughts of those lost at war to the ceremonial sounds of The Last Post on the bugle. The fourth stanza of Laurence Binyon’s poem For the Fallen (known as the «Ode of Remembrance») is often recited.

King’s Birthday[edit]

In all states and territories except Queensland^[3] and Western Australia, the King’s Birthday is observed on the second Monday in June. Because Western Australia celebrates Western Australia Day (formerly Foundation Day) on the first Monday in June, the Governor of Western Australia proclaims the day on which the state will observe the King’s Birthday, based on school terms and the Perth Royal Show.^[37] There is no firm rule to determine this date before it is proclaimed, though it is typically the last Monday of September or the first Monday of October: in 2011 the King’s Birthday holiday in Western Australia was moved from Monday, 3 October 2011 to Friday, 28 October 2011 to coincide with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which was held in Perth.^[38] In parts of the Pilbara, it is celebrated on a different date from the rest of Western Australia, and it may even be celebrated on different dates in different parts of the Pilbara.^[39] In Queensland, it is celebrated on the 1st Monday in October.^[3]

The day has been celebrated since 1788, when Governor Arthur Phillip declared a holiday to mark the birthday of King George III. Until 1936 it was held on the actual birthday of the Monarch, but after the death of King George V, it was decided to keep the date at mid-year.

On that day the «King’s Birthday honours list» is released naming new members of the Order of Australia and other Australian honours. This occurs on the date observed in the Eastern States, not the date observed in Western Australia.

The King’s Birthday weekend and Empire Day, 24 May, were long the traditional times for public fireworks displays in Australia. Although they still occur, the tradition has recently been overshadowed by larger New Year’s Eve fireworks, as the sale of fireworks to the public was banned by the states in the 1980s, and in the ACT as of 24 August 2009.^[40] In the Northern Territory fireworks remain available to the public on 1 July for the celebration of Territory Day.

Christmas Day[edit]

Christmas is observed on 25 December each year to commemorate the birth of Jesus. In Australia, it was introduced with British settlement in 1788 as the cultural norms were transferred to the new colonies.

Boxing Day[edit]

Boxing Day is on the day after Christmas, i.e. 26 December each year, except in South Australia. In South Australia, the first otherwise working day after Christmas is a public holiday called Proclamation Day.^[41]

Boxing Day is noted for the start of the post-Christmas sale season. The day has also become a significant sporting day. Melbourne hosts the Boxing Day Test match; the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race also starts on this day.

Other holidays[edit]

• Sunday is nominally a public holiday in South Australia.
• Proclamation Day is in December in South Australia only.
• Canberra Day is held on the 2nd Monday in March in the ACT. Prior to 2008, this holiday was celebrated on the 3rd Monday of March.
• Melbourne Cup Day is held on the first Tuesday of November—the day of the Melbourne Cup. It was originally observed only in the Melbourne metropolitan area. From 2007 to 2009 in ACT, Melbourne Cup day was also a holiday called «Family and Community Day». The holiday continued from 2010 to 2017 but no longer coincided with Melbourne Cup day. In Victoria, the Public Holidays Act 1993 (Vic) was amended from 24 September 2008 and made the Melbourne Cup Day holiday applicable in all parts of the state (unless another day is observed in substitute). It also made the holiday applicable to employees covered by federal awards.
• Recreation Day is the first Monday of November, and celebrated in Northern Tasmania where Regatta Day is not a holiday.
• Regatta Day is the second Monday in February, and is celebrated in Southern Tasmania. Previously it was held on the second Tuesday in February.
• Geelong Cup Day is held on the fourth Wednesday of October in the city of Geelong, Victoria
• Queensland Day is celebrated on 6 June each year, but not with a public holiday.
• Adelaide Cup Day is held on the second Monday in March in South Australia (held in May before 2006)^[42]
• Western Australia Day in Western Australia on the first Monday in June.
• Picnic Day in the Northern Territory in August, and also May Day
• Tasmania has Easter Tuesday as a bank holiday (for bank and government employees only).
• New South Wales has the first Monday in August as a bank holiday (for bank employees only).
• Many cities and towns observe local public holidays for their local Agricultural Show. For example:
  • Darwin Show Day in Darwin area in late July
  • Royal Queensland Show Day in Brisbane area in August^[3]
  • Gold Coast Show in Gold Coast area in October
  • Territory Day celebrated in the Northern Territory on July 1 while not a designated public holiday, it remains the only Australian public celebration where the public may purchase fireworks for home detonation
• ’’National Day of Mourning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’’ was a «one off» national public holiday declared by the Prime Minister for 22 September 2022 to allow people to pay their respects for the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning Australian monarch.^[43]

Public holidays by state[edit]

Queensland[edit]

The days are set in the Holidays Act 1983.^[44] Most public holidays include a second public holiday on a week-day if they happen to fall on Saturday or Sunday. In which case, both days are public holidays.^[45]

• New Year’s Day: 1 January, and if 1 January is a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday.
• Australia Day: 26 January, and if 26 January is a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday.
• Good Friday: on the date it is publicly observed, always a Friday.
• The day after Good Friday: Always a Saturday, one day after Good Friday.
• Easter Monday: The next Monday after Good Friday.
• ANZAC Day: 25 April, and if 25 April is a Sunday, 26 April.
• Labour Day («May Day»): 1st Monday in May.^[3]
• Birthday of the Sovereign: 1st Monday in October.^[3]
• Christmas Day: 25 December.
• Boxing Day: 26 December.

If Christmas Day (25 December) is a Saturday or Sunday, then 27 December is also a public holiday.
If Boxing day (26 December) is a Saturday or Sunday, then 28 December is also a public holiday.

Because of the variable days of Easter, Anzac day could fall on an Easter holiday. When ANZAC falls on Saturday, there is no week day public holiday. In such situations it is generally expected that the minister will proclaim extra public holidays on week-days to ensure every year has the same number of public holidays on week-days.

The minister of the state may proclaim and adjustments or additions, such as the date of the Brisbane Ekka Show day holiday. This day has historically always been proclaimed for the second Wednesday in August, except if there are 5 Wednesday’s in August, in which case the third Wednesday in August.^[45]

New South Wales[edit]

Public holidays generally follow the national pattern, but special cases are resolved by the State Government and advised by proclamation. Details of future holidays can be found on the NSW Industrial Relations website. Public holidays are regulated by the New South Wales Public Holidays Act 2010 No 115, which supersedes the Banks and Bank Holidays Act 1912 No 43.

The first Monday in August is a Bank Holiday, during which banks and financial institutions are closed.^[46]

Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory[edit]

Most New South Wales public holidays are public holidays in the Australian Capital Territory, with the addition of Canberra Day.

South Australia[edit]

Public holidays in South Australia are set out in the Holidays Act 1910, while additional holidays may be proclaimed in all or part of the State by the Governor.^[47] The Act defines public holidays and bank holidays, which are the same except where a holiday falls on a Saturday, in which case the public holiday is held on the following Monday and both the Saturday and Monday are bank holidays.

Victoria[edit]

Public holidays in Victoria are regulated by the Victorian Public Holidays Act 1993.

Victorian employees fall under the Workchoices system either as coming within the Commonwealth constitutional power (called «constitutional corporation employees») or because of Victoria’s referral of its legislative powers to the Commonwealth for particular workplace relations matters.

Employee entitlements to public holidays and additional pay depend on whether they are covered by a federal award or agreement.

Employees not covered by a federal award or agreement are entitled to public holidays under the Victorian Public Holidays Act 1993. Also, all permanent employees not covered by a federal award or agreement who would normally work on a public holiday (or a substitute public holiday) are entitled to the holiday without loss of pay. Their employers are not required to provide additional payment if they work on a public holiday, but this does not exclude the possibility of employees and employers negotiating for additional pay.

Employees who are covered by a federal award or agreement are entitled to public holidays as provided by the relevant federal award or agreement and the Public Holidays Act 1993. Many federal awards and agreements also provide for additional penalty rates for work performed on a public holiday.

Restricted shop trading laws apply to Good Friday, Christmas Day and before 1 pm on Anzac Day. On these days only exempted businesses are permitted to open for trading.^[48] All public holidays and substitute public holidays are bank holidays.^[49]

In August 2015, the day before the AFL Grand Final, as well as Easter Sunday, were gazetted as Public Holidays within Victoria. This date of the holiday is as gazetted by the Victorian Government and cannot be accurately predicted. In 2019, the Victorian Parliament legislated the AFL Grand Final public holiday by amending the Public Holidays Act 1993 (Vic).^[50]

The Victorian public holidays are as follows:^[51]

* Melbourne Cup Day is observed in most of the state, but various cup days and show days in the state’s west are locally substituted. See the list at Non-Metropolitan Public Holiday Dates (Victoria Online).

Melbourne Show Day used to be observed on the Thursday in the last full week of September as a half-day public holiday—later changing to full day—until 1994 (abolished by the state government).^[52] Easter Tuesday was observed as a Bank Holiday in Victoria until 1994 (also abolished by the state government).

Western Australia[edit]

• *If a Public Holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is also observed as a Public Holiday^[53]
• #The King’s Birthday may be held on a different date in regional communities^[39]

Penalty rates[edit]

Penalty rates are the rates of pay which an employee is paid higher than their standard base rate for working at times or on days, such as public holidays, which are outside the normal working week.^[54] They were introduced in 1947 for workers working on the Sabbath,^[55][56] as most workers were Christian, while today, these rates of pay are set by the Fair Work Commission.

See also[edit]

• Australian labour law
• Australian Pay and Classification Scales

References[edit]

There are many different public holidays spread throughout the year in
Australia. Most of these are National holidays but some of them vary
within each state. When a holiday falls on a weekend, the following
Monday is usually considered to be the public holiday, so many shops
are closed and most people aren’t required to work.

Australia in general, is a pretty laid back
country and public holidays are usually spent relaxing with friends and
family. Because of the great weather, 3 day weekends are often used to
go away on a mini holiday — either to the beach, country or mountains.

Just like in many parts of the world, summertime and the
Christmas season have the most public holidays and December through to
January tends to feel like one big celebration.

Australia’s National Public Holidays

New Year’s Day — 1st January

New Year’s Day is the first day of every calendar year and for
most people, it is usually spent recovering from the celebrations and
festivities of the night before.

Although the 31st of December isn’t a public holiday, every
capital city and even most towns, get ready for a night of partying,
fireworks and bringing in the New Year.

Australia Day- 26th January

Australia Day is a popular holiday which celebrates the landing
of Captain Arthur Phillip and the First Fleet onto Australian shores.
The National pride of Australians really comes out on this public
holiday and Australian flag, clothing and memorabilia can be found everywhere.

Easter Holidays — April

Easter is a time when Christians remember the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ. It is usually celebrated at the end of the first quarter
of the year but can vary slightly depending on the lunar cycle. School
holidays often fall around the same time and many families choose to go
away on trips to visit relatives.

Anzac Day — 25th April

Anzac Day is celebrated on the same date every year, regardless
of what day it falls on. It is a day to remember all of the Australian
and New Zealand Army Corps soldiers who in 1915, went to fight in the Gallipoli Campaign and never returned. All soldiers who fought for their countries and lost their lives are remembered on this day.

Queen’s Birthday — 9th June (29th September in WA)

Australia has celebrated the Queen’s Birthday every year since the
First Fleet arrived in 1788. Australians look forward to this holiday
as a midyear break and in the southern states it marks the official
start of the snow season in some of the higher country regions.

Christmas Day — 25th December

Christmas is a holiday in which people celebrate the birth of
Jesus Christ. Most Australians celebrate by giving presents to family
and friends either on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning.

The Australian Christmas falls in summer, so instead of the traditional
white Christmas that is celebrated in many other countries, Christmas
in Australia can be quite hot and many families substitute the
traditional Christmas roast dinner with a BBQ instead. Usually with
meats, salads and seafood.

Boxing Day — 26th December

Boxing Day occurs the day after Christmas and Australians
usually continue the Christmas festivities by spending time with family
and feasting on all the leftovers from the previous day.

There are a couple of major sporting events that take place on Boxing Day such as the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race and in cricket, the Boxing Day Test Match.

Another big event in Australia is the Boxing Day Sales. Shops
offer great deals and huge discounts on Boxing Day so shopping centres
are often quite chaotic.

Labour Day — Varies within states

Labour Day is celebrated at varied times for different states in
Australia, but the reasoning behind it is the same. It celebrates the
victory of workers in the mid to late 19th century in terms of better
working conditions and lowering the work day from 12 hours to 8 hours.
It is known as Eight Hour Day in Tasmania and May Day in the Northern
Territory — and many other countries around the world.

The dates for public holidays can vary slightly each year and
certain states and towns can also have their own annual public holidays
for various reasons including shows, festivals etc. Always double check
with an official Australian calendar or website before making your
travel arrangements.

Expedite Your Passport Now!

1. traditions and holidays in Australia

TRADITIONS AND
HOLIDAYS IN
AUSTRALIA
Made Demeduk Olga

2. Australia Day

Australia Day is one of
the key Australian
traditions. It is
celebrated on 26th
January and is
declared a National
Holiday. On this day,
Aussies across the
country celebrate
being Australian. They
are a very proud
bunch and you’ll see
flags hanging out of
car windows and
houses for the entire
last week of January.
To be honest, many
Aussies just see it as a
day off work and an
excuse to have a few
beers the night before.

3.

4. ANZAC Day

Another important day that
commemorates a key war moment
from the first World War on 25th April
1915 when Australian troops landed
in Gallipoli, on behalf of the British. It
was a battle against the Turks over
the control of the Dardenelles.
The day itself is another National
Holiday for Australia and it is good to
see a real level of respect for the
many war heroes for the first and
second world wars. There are
marches in most major cities but the
key event is the Dawn Service. There
is usually one in each of the state’s
major cities and takes place early in
the morning around 5.30am. This is
when most battles took place so is
an important time to show respect.
The most photographed and
ceremonial Dawn Service is
probably at the War Memorial in
Canberra.
I’d still say though for the majority of
Aussies, it’s still about the drinks in the
pub. But which is more significant Anzac Day or Australia Day? I think
most Australians would pick Australia
Day due to its upbeat vibe,
particularly compared to the
sombre occasion of Anzac Day.
Both dates however do seem to
mark unhappy events though in
reality.

5.

6. Melbourne Cup

This is another classic day in the
Australian Calendar and one of the
most well known Australian
traditions. It is a National Holiday for
those lucky enough to live in the
state of Victoria. t is essentially the
biggest day of the year in Horse
Racing and is held in Melbourne
every year on the first Tuesday in
November. The tradition stems right
back to the gold digging days
when gambling was a big past
time for those being lucky enough
to find gold. The first race was held
in 1861 and has been going ever
since. Throughout Australia on that
Tuesday in November Australia
stops to watch the horse race.
Those that never place a bet all
year will go and have a flutter — it’s
such a long race (3200m) with
usually about 30 runners that
anyone can be a winner! The
tradition is to dress up as if you are
going to the races — hats, dresses
and suits for the men, go out for
lunch, drink champagne and then
watch the race at about 3pm.
Most offices close at mid-day and
put on a lunch for their staff
members and those in Victoria may
go to the race or enjoy the full day
off.

7.

8. The Queen’s Birthday

Isn’t it ironic that it’s only
the Australian’s that get a
public holiday for the
Queen’s Birthday on the
second Monday in June
every year — not the British!
Australian traditions at its
best!
The Queen is still head of
the state of Australia for
now and we all relish in a
day’s holiday. There aren’t
any particular
celebrations that go on
but it is something we all
look forward to in June.

9.

10. Christmas

The Christmas traditions
from Britain still ring true
throughout Australia and
it always feels strange to
me, to celebrate
Christmas when it is hot especially when they insist
on images of snowmen,
snow and ice!
Still the Aussies have put
their own twist on the
British traditions and come
up with their own
Australian Traditions — with
Barbies and Seafood
replacing the Cooked
Turkey — well on the whole
anyway!

11.

12. Australian Social Etiquette Traditions

If you are new to Australia or
visiting from a fairly hierarchical or
perhaps Asian state, then you
may find the laid back style of the
Australians a bit of an adjustment.
Here are a few things to be
mindful of in the way of Australian
traditions:
· Australians will usually introduce
themselves by their first names — no
formalities of Mr Smith — just Bruce!
· Dress code is usually fairly
relaxed. Ties are rarely worn at
work although in some industries
like banking, it is still a common
site. Thongs on the weekend with
a T-shirt and shorts are the go!
· The Aussies like their personal
space — don’t get too close and
personal when you talk to them
· Queuing — a hang up from the
British I think — It’s polite to stand in
line and NOT push in when waiting
for a bus, for a server in the bank,
at the front of a pub etc etc You
are likely to get a few rough words
if you don’t!

13. Thank you for your attention!

Public holidays in Australia refer to the holidays recognised in law in Australia. Although they are declared on a state and territory basis, they comprise a mixture of nationally celebrated days and holidays exclusive to the individual jurisdictions.

Public holidays function as non-working days, with workers generally receiving full paid leave independently of annual leave. Those working on public holidays receive additional penalty rates of pay.^[1] Where they fall on a weekend, public holidays are generally declared in lieu for the following Monday.

Statutory holidays in Australia are based on varying religious, cultural and civic observations. Christian celebrations, namely Christmas and Easter, are some of the most significant ones observed. A Labour Day is observed in each state and territory, although it is varied in date. There are two significant national days, Australia Day (26 January) and Anzac Day (25 April), which are nationwide public holidays.

When a public holiday occurs on a Friday or Monday, the three-day period is colloquially known as a «long weekend».

Nature of public holidays[edit]

Traditionally, Australians in employment (whether in the public or private sector) have had the right to take a public holiday off work with regular pay. In recent years^[when?] this tradition has changed somewhat. For example, businesses that normally open on a public holiday may request employees to work on that day. Employers can deny employees a holiday only on reasonable business grounds.^{[citation needed]}

From 2006, WorkChoices eliminated the entitlement to penalty rates in many workplaces; however since the implementation of the Fair Work Act 2009 and the modern awards in 2010, most public-holiday penalty rates have increased dramatically.^{[citation needed]} As of 2018 employees generally receive pay at a penalty rate—usually 2.5 times (known as «double time and a half») the base rate of pay—when they work on a public holiday.^{[citation needed]}

Besides designating days as public holidays, Australian authorities also designate some of these days as restricted trading days.

Public holidays are determined by a combination of:

• statutes, with specific gazetting of public holidays
• industrial awards and agreements

If a standard public holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute public holiday will sometimes be observed on the first non-weekend day (usually Monday) after the weekend, whether by virtue of the public holiday legislation or by ad hoc proclamation. Workers required to work on a public holiday or substituted public holiday will usually be entitled to remuneration at a holiday penalty rate.

All states have their own public holidays in addition to national public holidays, and in some states certain public holidays, such as Melbourne Cup Day, are in force in only part of a state.

Alcohol licences in several states prevent sale of alcohol on certain public holidays, such as Good Friday.

Public holidays[edit]

Legend:

B City of Brisbane only. The Royal National Agricultural (RNA) Show Day (Brisbane only) is held on the Wednesday during the RNA Show period. The RNA Show commences on the first Friday in August, unless the first Friday is prior to 5 August, then it commences on the second Friday of August.^[15] Other Queensland show holidays: Show holiday dates | Public, school and show holidays

C = Conditional: Public Service employees or where defined in Employment Agreement/Award^[16]

H = Hobart area only

NH = Not Hobart area

P Part day, from 7 pm to midnight (6 pm to midnight for QLD)^[17]

† Often substituted with the Geelong Cup for Geelong residents. For regional Victoria other local cup days are sometimes substituted.

* The holiday is legislated for the 3rd Monday of May. Since 2006 it has been moved via the issuing of a special Proclamation by the Governor, to the 2nd Monday of March, on a trial basis.^[18]

** Sunday is nominally a public holiday in South Australia^[18]

*** Depends on occupation, generally from 6 pm to midnight^[19]

Substitute holidays for holidays falling on a weekend[edit]

When a public holiday falls on a weekend, the following work day may be considered a public holiday depending on the state/territory and the holiday in question.

Holidays that always fall on a particular day of the week are not listed in this table. Prior to 2008, Victorian law only specified substitute holidays for New Year and Boxing Day, and only if they fell on a Sunday.^[29] From 2008, Victorian law specifies the substitute holidays in the table above.^[25]

Since Easter Monday can occur as late as 26 April it is possible for the Easter Monday holiday to coincide with Anzac Day, as occurred in 2011. State Acts do not give a provision to separate the days when this occurs, so no additional public holiday is given by law. However an extra day is usually proclaimed by the minister, so as to have a steady number of public holidays each year.^[30][31][32] In the year 2038, Anzac Day will coincide with Easter Sunday.

Australia Day[edit]

Nationally, Australia Day was originally celebrated on 30 July 1915.^[33]

Recorded celebrations of the 26 January date back to 1808 in Australia, and in 1818, Governor Lachlan Macquarie held the first official celebration of Australia Day.^[34] 26 January was chosen because it is the day of the establishment of the first British settlement at Port Jackson by Captain Arthur Phillip in 1788.^[35] It was made a public holiday in New South Wales in 1836, and Victoria adopted the day as a public holiday in 1931. The 26 January commenced to be recognised by all states and territories as Australia Day in 1946.

Australia Day has been celebrated as a national public holiday on 26 January since 1994.^[36]

Since 1960, the winner of the Australian of the Year award is announced by the Prime Minister on the eve of Australia Day (25 Jan).

Labour Day[edit]

Labour Day commemorates the achievements of the Australian labour movement. The celebration of Labour Day has its origins in the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest. On 21 April 1856 Stonemasons and building workers on building sites around Melbourne, Australia, stopped work and marched from the University of Melbourne to Parliament House to achieve an eight-hour day. Their direct action protest was a success, and they are noted as the first organised workers in the world to achieve an eight-hour day with no loss of pay, which subsequently inspired the celebration of Labour Day and May Day. In Tasmania the public holiday is called Eight Hours Day and in the Northern Territory it is called May Day.

The Labour Day public holiday varies considerably between the various states and territories. It is the first Monday in October in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and South Australia. In Western Australia, it is the first Monday in March. In both Victoria and Tasmania, it is the second Monday in March. In the Northern Territory, and in Queensland^[3] it is the first Monday in May. More than 80 countries celebrate Labor Day. Labor Day is a long weekend.

Easter[edit]

The days of Easter vary each year depending on the day determined by the Western Christian calendar. Until 1994 Easter Tuesday was a Bank Holiday in Victoria (it retains this status partially in Tasmania). The day after Good Friday and before Easter Sunday is traditionally known as Holy Saturday. However, the states where that day is a public holiday use different terminology – it is officially gazetted as «Easter Saturday» in the ACT, New South Wales, and the Northern Territory;^[4][5][6] as «the day after Good Friday» in Queensland and South Australia;^[7][8] and as «Saturday before Easter Sunday» in Victoria.^[10]

ANZAC Day[edit]

ANZAC Day is a day on which the country remembers those citizens who fell fighting or who served the country in wars. ANZAC Day is commemorated on 25 April every year. The tradition began to remember the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) soldiers who landed at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I.

ANZAC Day commemoration features marches by veterans and by solemn «Dawn Services», a tradition started in Albany, Western Australia on 25 April 1923 and now held at war memorials around the country, accompanied by thoughts of those lost at war to the ceremonial sounds of The Last Post on the bugle. The fourth stanza of Laurence Binyon’s poem For the Fallen (known as the «Ode of Remembrance») is often recited.

King’s Birthday[edit]

In all states and territories except Queensland^[3] and Western Australia, the King’s Birthday is observed on the second Monday in June. Because Western Australia celebrates Western Australia Day (formerly Foundation Day) on the first Monday in June, the Governor of Western Australia proclaims the day on which the state will observe the King’s Birthday, based on school terms and the Perth Royal Show.^[37] There is no firm rule to determine this date before it is proclaimed, though it is typically the last Monday of September or the first Monday of October: in 2011 the King’s Birthday holiday in Western Australia was moved from Monday, 3 October 2011 to Friday, 28 October 2011 to coincide with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which was held in Perth.^[38] In parts of the Pilbara, it is celebrated on a different date from the rest of Western Australia, and it may even be celebrated on different dates in different parts of the Pilbara.^[39] In Queensland, it is celebrated on the 1st Monday in October.^[3]

The day has been celebrated since 1788, when Governor Arthur Phillip declared a holiday to mark the birthday of King George III. Until 1936 it was held on the actual birthday of the Monarch, but after the death of King George V, it was decided to keep the date at mid-year.

On that day the «King’s Birthday honours list» is released naming new members of the Order of Australia and other Australian honours. This occurs on the date observed in the Eastern States, not the date observed in Western Australia.

The King’s Birthday weekend and Empire Day, 24 May, were long the traditional times for public fireworks displays in Australia. Although they still occur, the tradition has recently been overshadowed by larger New Year’s Eve fireworks, as the sale of fireworks to the public was banned by the states in the 1980s, and in the ACT as of 24 August 2009.^[40] In the Northern Territory fireworks remain available to the public on 1 July for the celebration of Territory Day.

Christmas Day[edit]

Christmas is observed on 25 December each year to commemorate the birth of Jesus. In Australia, it was introduced with British settlement in 1788 as the cultural norms were transferred to the new colonies.

Boxing Day[edit]

Boxing Day is on the day after Christmas, i.e. 26 December each year, except in South Australia. In South Australia, the first otherwise working day after Christmas is a public holiday called Proclamation Day.^[41]

Boxing Day is noted for the start of the post-Christmas sale season. The day has also become a significant sporting day. Melbourne hosts the Boxing Day Test match; the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race also starts on this day.

Other holidays[edit]

• Sunday is nominally a public holiday in South Australia.
• Proclamation Day is in December in South Australia only.
• Canberra Day is held on the 2nd Monday in March in the ACT. Prior to 2008, this holiday was celebrated on the 3rd Monday of March.
• Melbourne Cup Day is held on the first Tuesday of November—the day of the Melbourne Cup. It was originally observed only in the Melbourne metropolitan area. From 2007 to 2009 in ACT, Melbourne Cup day was also a holiday called «Family and Community Day». The holiday continued from 2010 to 2017 but no longer coincided with Melbourne Cup day. In Victoria, the Public Holidays Act 1993 (Vic) was amended from 24 September 2008 and made the Melbourne Cup Day holiday applicable in all parts of the state (unless another day is observed in substitute). It also made the holiday applicable to employees covered by federal awards.
• Recreation Day is the first Monday of November, and celebrated in Northern Tasmania where Regatta Day is not a holiday.
• Regatta Day is the second Monday in February, and is celebrated in Southern Tasmania. Previously it was held on the second Tuesday in February.
• Geelong Cup Day is held on the fourth Wednesday of October in the city of Geelong, Victoria
• Queensland Day is celebrated on 6 June each year, but not with a public holiday.
• Adelaide Cup Day is held on the second Monday in March in South Australia (held in May before 2006)^[42]
• Western Australia Day in Western Australia on the first Monday in June.
• Picnic Day in the Northern Territory in August, and also May Day
• Tasmania has Easter Tuesday as a bank holiday (for bank and government employees only).
• New South Wales has the first Monday in August as a bank holiday (for bank employees only).
• Many cities and towns observe local public holidays for their local Agricultural Show. For example:
  • Darwin Show Day in Darwin area in late July
  • Royal Queensland Show Day in Brisbane area in August^[3]
  • Gold Coast Show in Gold Coast area in October
  • Territory Day celebrated in the Northern Territory on July 1 while not a designated public holiday, it remains the only Australian public celebration where the public may purchase fireworks for home detonation
• ’’National Day of Mourning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’’ was a «one off» national public holiday declared by the Prime Minister for 22 September 2022 to allow people to pay their respects for the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning Australian monarch.^[43]

Public holidays by state[edit]

Queensland[edit]

The days are set in the Holidays Act 1983.^[44] Most public holidays include a second public holiday on a week-day if they happen to fall on Saturday or Sunday. In which case, both days are public holidays.^[45]

• New Year’s Day: 1 January, and if 1 January is a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday.
• Australia Day: 26 January, and if 26 January is a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday.
• Good Friday: on the date it is publicly observed, always a Friday.
• The day after Good Friday: Always a Saturday, one day after Good Friday.
• Easter Monday: The next Monday after Good Friday.
• ANZAC Day: 25 April, and if 25 April is a Sunday, 26 April.
• Labour Day («May Day»): 1st Monday in May.^[3]
• Birthday of the Sovereign: 1st Monday in October.^[3]
• Christmas Day: 25 December.
• Boxing Day: 26 December.

If Christmas Day (25 December) is a Saturday or Sunday, then 27 December is also a public holiday.
If Boxing day (26 December) is a Saturday or Sunday, then 28 December is also a public holiday.

Because of the variable days of Easter, Anzac day could fall on an Easter holiday. When ANZAC falls on Saturday, there is no week day public holiday. In such situations it is generally expected that the minister will proclaim extra public holidays on week-days to ensure every year has the same number of public holidays on week-days.

The minister of the state may proclaim and adjustments or additions, such as the date of the Brisbane Ekka Show day holiday. This day has historically always been proclaimed for the second Wednesday in August, except if there are 5 Wednesday’s in August, in which case the third Wednesday in August.^[45]

New South Wales[edit]

Public holidays generally follow the national pattern, but special cases are resolved by the State Government and advised by proclamation. Details of future holidays can be found on the NSW Industrial Relations website. Public holidays are regulated by the New South Wales Public Holidays Act 2010 No 115, which supersedes the Banks and Bank Holidays Act 1912 No 43.

The first Monday in August is a Bank Holiday, during which banks and financial institutions are closed.^[46]

Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory[edit]

Most New South Wales public holidays are public holidays in the Australian Capital Territory, with the addition of Canberra Day.

South Australia[edit]

Public holidays in South Australia are set out in the Holidays Act 1910, while additional holidays may be proclaimed in all or part of the State by the Governor.^[47] The Act defines public holidays and bank holidays, which are the same except where a holiday falls on a Saturday, in which case the public holiday is held on the following Monday and both the Saturday and Monday are bank holidays.

Victoria[edit]

Public holidays in Victoria are regulated by the Victorian Public Holidays Act 1993.

Victorian employees fall under the Workchoices system either as coming within the Commonwealth constitutional power (called «constitutional corporation employees») or because of Victoria’s referral of its legislative powers to the Commonwealth for particular workplace relations matters.

Employee entitlements to public holidays and additional pay depend on whether they are covered by a federal award or agreement.

Employees not covered by a federal award or agreement are entitled to public holidays under the Victorian Public Holidays Act 1993. Also, all permanent employees not covered by a federal award or agreement who would normally work on a public holiday (or a substitute public holiday) are entitled to the holiday without loss of pay. Their employers are not required to provide additional payment if they work on a public holiday, but this does not exclude the possibility of employees and employers negotiating for additional pay.

Employees who are covered by a federal award or agreement are entitled to public holidays as provided by the relevant federal award or agreement and the Public Holidays Act 1993. Many federal awards and agreements also provide for additional penalty rates for work performed on a public holiday.

Restricted shop trading laws apply to Good Friday, Christmas Day and before 1 pm on Anzac Day. On these days only exempted businesses are permitted to open for trading.^[48] All public holidays and substitute public holidays are bank holidays.^[49]

In August 2015, the day before the AFL Grand Final, as well as Easter Sunday, were gazetted as Public Holidays within Victoria. This date of the holiday is as gazetted by the Victorian Government and cannot be accurately predicted. In 2019, the Victorian Parliament legislated the AFL Grand Final public holiday by amending the Public Holidays Act 1993 (Vic).^[50]

The Victorian public holidays are as follows:^[51]

* Melbourne Cup Day is observed in most of the state, but various cup days and show days in the state’s west are locally substituted. See the list at Non-Metropolitan Public Holiday Dates (Victoria Online).

Melbourne Show Day used to be observed on the Thursday in the last full week of September as a half-day public holiday—later changing to full day—until 1994 (abolished by the state government).^[52] Easter Tuesday was observed as a Bank Holiday in Victoria until 1994 (also abolished by the state government).

Western Australia[edit]

• *If a Public Holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is also observed as a Public Holiday^[53]
• #The King’s Birthday may be held on a different date in regional communities^[39]

Penalty rates[edit]

Penalty rates are the rates of pay which an employee is paid higher than their standard base rate for working at times or on days, such as public holidays, which are outside the normal working week.^[54] They were introduced in 1947 for workers working on the Sabbath,^[55][56] as most workers were Christian, while today, these rates of pay are set by the Fair Work Commission.

See also[edit]

• Australian labour law
• Australian Pay and Classification Scales

References[edit]