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Australian Time Zones and Current Time in Australia

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Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world (in terms of land size) with a land mass of 7.688 million km² and an estimated population of 26 million. 

So, it’s needless to say that Australia is a huge country, and thus it has multiple time zones. 

But there are three main time zones in Australia, which are:

  • Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST), 
  • Australian Central Standard Time (ACST),
  • Australian Western Standard Time (AWST).

Oftentimes migrants get confused with these various Time Zones and this results in missed flights, missed appointments and other inconvenient events. 

This is why it is very important to understand the various time zones used in Australia before you migrate here. 

In this blog, you will get to learn all about the time zones used in different parts of Australia and current time in Australia.

Let’s dive right in.

Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST)

Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) is the most commonly used time zone in Australia. 

This time zone is 10 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is the standard time all over the world at the same time. 

This particular time zone covers the following states: 

  • New South Wales (Except Broken Hill Town)
  • Victoria
  • Queensland
  • Tasmania
  • Australian Capital Territory

This particular time zone covers the following cities in the states above: 

  • Brisbane
  • Sydney
  • Melbourne
  • Hobart
  • Canberra

Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT)

During Daylight Saving Time (DST), the Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) is moved forward by an hour, that then becomes the Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT). 

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is when we move our clocks forward an hour in the spring and backward an hour in the fall to make better use of the longer daylight hours during the summer. 

Daylight Saving Time is put into effect at 2am on the first Sunday in October when clocks are forwarded by one hour, and it ends at 2am (which is 3am Daylight Saving Time) on the first Sunday in April when clocks are put backward by one hour.

It is important to note that not all Australian States and territories observe Daylight Savings.

If you want to know about Daylight Savings in Australia, then read our complete guide on Daylight Savings here.

Australian Central Standard Time (ACST)

The Australian Central Standard Time (ACST) is used in the central regions of Australia and is 9.5 hours ahead of the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC +9:30).

It is also 30 minutes behind the Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). 

This particular time zone covers the following states: 

  • Northern Territory
  • South Australia

This particular time zone covers the following cities in the states above: 

  • Adelaide
  • Darwin
  • Broken Hill
  • Alice Springs

During Daylight Saving Time (DST), the Australian Central Standard Time (ACST) moves forward by an hour, this now becomes the Australian Central Daylight Time (ACDT).

As Northern Territory does not observe the Daylight Savings, only South Australia has ACDT timezone.

Australian Western Standard Time (AWST)

The Australian Western Standard Time (AWST) is the time used in Western Australia. 

This particular time zone is 8 hours ahead of the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC +8:00). Unlike the other two primary time zones, AWST does not factor in Daylight Saving. 

This time zone covers the city of Perth.

Asides from the 3 main time zones in Australia, there are 4 other time zones you should take note of:

Lord Howe Standard Time (LHST)

The Lord Howe Standard Time (LHST) is the time zone for the Lord Howe Island. It is Standard Time (NFT) is 10.5 hours ahead of the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+10.30). 

Lord Howe Standard Time (LHST) does observe Daylight Saving Time, but the clocks only move forward by 30 minutes, instead of an hour during summer.

Norfolk Island Standard Time (NFT)

The Norfolk Island Standard Time (NFT) is the time zone used on Norfolk Island, an external territory of Australia located in the South Pacific Ocean. Norfolk Island Standard Time (NFT) is 11 hours ahead of the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+11). 

This particular time zone covers only Kingston city and similar to AWST, it does not observe Daylight Saving Time.

Christmas Island Standard Time (CXT)    

Christmas Island Standard Time (CXT) is the time zone accepted on Christmas Island, a territory of Australia located in the Indian Ocean. 

Christmas Island Standard Time (CXT) is 7 hours ahead of the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+7) and does not observe Daylight Saving Time.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands Standard Time (CCT)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands Standard Time (CCT) is the accepted time zone used on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, an Australian territory also located in the Indian Ocean. 

Cocos (Keeling) Islands Standard Time (CCT) is 6.5 hours ahead of the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+6:30) and they do not observe Daylight Saving Time (DST).

List of all the major cities in Australia and their time zones

CityState/TerritoryTime Zone
SydneyNew South WalesAustralian Eastern Standard Time
MelbourneVictoriaAustralian Eastern Standard Time
BrisbaneQueenslandAustralian Eastern Standard Time
CanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralian Eastern Standard Time
NewcastleNew South WalesAustralian Eastern Standard Time
Gold CoastQueenslandAustralian Eastern Standard Time
HobartTasmaniaAustralian Eastern Standard Time
TownsvilleQueenslandAustralian Eastern Standard Time
AdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralian Central Standard Time
DarwinNorthern TerritoryAustralian Central Standard Time
PerthWestern AustraliaAustralian Western Standard Time

Current Time in Australia

Due to different time zones, the time in Australia varies from one city to another.  Here is an example of timeframes comparing to some of the popular cities around the world.

So, the example below in the table shows what time it will be in different cities if it is 5:00 pm in Sydney (Not Daylight Savings Time).

USA (NEW YORK)UK (LONDON)India (DELHI)China (BEIJING)Japan (TOKYO)AWST (PERTH)ACST (ADELAIDE)AEST (SYDNEY)
12:00 am8:00 am12:30 pm3:00 pm4:00 pm2:00 pm3:30 pm5:00 pm

Current Time in Australia’s Capital City, Canberra:

To know the current time in Australia according to their respective regions, states and time zones click here

With this knowledge of Australian time zones, you can properly prepare for appointments, meetings, and travel throughout the country.

If you liked this article, you might also like to read our article on Seasons in Australia.



Everything You Need To Know About Daylight Saving In Australia

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Many international students who come to study in Australia get to know about a new term they never hear of before “Daylight Saving”?

Does that mean we save the Daylight? or does it mean using solar panels to capture daylight in the summer days?

Well, none of that.

So in this article, we are explaining everything you need to know about Daylight Saving in Australia.

What is Daylight Saving?

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is advancing the clocks one hour forward during the summer months. The idea behind daylight saving is to enjoy one extra hour of daylight in the evenings.

It makes your day feeling longer and also helps to save the consumption of electricity and hence helping the planet a bit.

When did it first started?

The idea was first proposed by George Hudson, an astronomer from New Zealand in 1895.

However, it was first used by the residents of Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada in 1908.

Australia first observed its Daylight Saving Time (DST) in 1916. Although it wasn’t until 1967 when the practice of daylight saving became more regular after drought in Tasmania. Other states picked up the practice in 1970s.

It might be surprise for some that Australia is not the only country that observes daylight saving. There are 70 countries around the world that participate in the daylight saving.

Which states and territories recognise daylight savings in Australia?

In Australia, these states and territories recognise the daylight savings:

✔️ New South Wales

✔️ Victoria

✔️ Tasmania

✔️ South Australia

✔️ Australian Capital Territory

So if you are living in:

❌ Queensland

❌ Northern Territory

❌ Western Australia

You don’t need to worry about daylight saving except when travelling interstate or dealing with people from those states and territories with daylight savings.

When does Daylight saving start and end in Australia?

In Australia, Daylight saving start at 2 am on the first Sunday of October and ends at 2 am on the first Sunday of April.

In 2024-25, the daylight savings starts on 6th October 2024 at 2 am in Australia and end on Sunday, 6th April 2025 at 2.

In the table below, you can see the Daylight Savings start and end times for the next 3 years in Australia.

YearDaylight Savings StartsDaylight Savings Ends

2024 – 2025
October 6, 2024
April 6, 2025

2025 – 2026
October 5, 2025
April 5, 2026

2026 – 2027
October 4, 2026
April 4, 2027

Everything You Need To Know About Daylight Saving In Australia

What should I do for Daylight Saving changes?

If you are living in any of the states and territories in Australia where Daylight Savings are observed, then all you need to do is forward your clock by 1 hour on the first Sunday of October and move it backwards on the first Sunday of April.

You usually don’t need to change the time on your mobile devices as it is automatically changed by your mobile network provider.

You lose an hour of sleep when daylight saving starts, but you get it back when daylight saving ends.

If you are living in other parts of Australia that does not recognise daylight saving, then you don’t need to do anything. Life goes on for you as per normal except if you have to deal with people living in Daylight Savings time zones.

How to prepare yourself better for Daylight Savings changes?

But if you want to prepare yourself better for Daylight Savings changes, we suggest you:

  • Adjust your sleep cycle: Before the time changes, it will be great if you can adjust your time schedule for sleeping. For example, if you typically go to bed at 11 PM and get up at 6 AM, you can start going to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier each night in the week leading up to the Daylight Saving changes.
  • Check the time for public transport: To avoid any possible work-related delays, it is best to check the local transport schedule to see if any changes have been made.
  • Plan your meal and exercise timings: You can start planning your meal schedules and exercise timings as well before the start of the Daylight savings.
  • Be patient: Last but not the least, Daylight Savings can disrupt your life patterns, but it will be only a few weeks before you start adjusting back to the new time. So don’t stress. Give yourself extra self-care time after the change to Daylight Saving timeframes.

Which countries observe Daylight Savings?

There area around 70 countries around the world that observe Daylight Savings including:

✔️ Australia

✔️ Brazil

✔️ Canada

✔️ Chile

✔️ Fiji

✔️ Mexico

✔️ New Zealand

✔️ United States

✔️ United Kingdom

✔️ Most Eurpoean Union

✔️ Some Middle Eastern Countries

What are the benefits of Daylight Savings?

Here are some benefits of having a Daylight Savings:

  • Energy savings: The benefit of observing a Daylight Savings is that it leads to energy savings. This is due to the fact that people tend to use less electricity due to the longer day hours. T
  • Longer evenings for outdoor activities: Daylight Savings gives people more time to spend outside in the evenings. It can be good for outdoor activities such as sports.
  • Great for Economy: As people tend to spend more time outdoors, it turns out that they spend more money, which helps the local economy.

What are the drawbacks of Daylight Savings?

Here are common drawbacks of having a Daylight Savings:

  • Disruption to sleep patterns: DST can cause disruption to sleep patterns, as people may have to wake up earlier and go to bed later than usual.
  • Negative impact on some businesses: Some businesses that tend to deal with people from different states or countries with different timezones may have impact on their operations.

Does the Daylight Savings affect your health?

Although, some reports do suggest that it can disrupt your sleeping pattern, food habits, appetite etc. temporarily.

There is no scientific evidence that it poses serious threats to your body. You might feel a bit tired due to lack of sleep when daylight saving starts. It can take some time for your body to adjust to the new timing as well.

What do you think about Daylight Saving? Do you like it or not? Give your thoughts in the comments below.



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