|
|
|
Australia Wide Public Holidays |
|
Often the only time that many families can go on holiday together, is during the
school holiday periods and public holidays. This also tends to be the busiest
times for many popular destinations, except when there are other major events
on. For more information including school holidays, check out
the
australia.gov.au
- School Term Dates. If the page moves, just do a search for ‘School Term
Dates and Holidays’ from the
australia.gov.au.
There are also various local and state based holidays that
are also observed. |
|
|
Name of public holiday |
Date |
|
New Year's Day
|
1st January |
A day to see in the New Year with
family and friends and often marked by celebration that
include firework displays at midnight. |
Australia Day
|
26th January |
This date commemorates a point in
Australia's history when Captain Arthur Phillip came
ashore at Sydney Cove, in what is now known as the
"historic Rocks" area, at the southern end of Sydney
Harbour Bridge.
Although it is a celebration that connects the past with
the present, the land with the people, it is also a day
where the Australia's Aboriginal people considered that
they were invaded by the British back in 1788.
Visit the
Australia Day website... |
Good Friday
|
March to April |
|
Easter Saturday
|
March to April |
|
Easter Sunday
|
March to April |
Easter Sunday can fall anywhere from
March 22nd to April 25th. Easter Sunday is the first
Sunday after the first full moon after March 20th, which
marks the Spring Equinox.
Easter Sunday is the day that is usually referred to
when people say "Easter", being at the end of the Lent
period. |
Easter Monday
|
March to April |
|
ANZAC Day
|
25th April |
This day of remembrance marks the
deaths and sufferings of brave men and women, who lost
their lives in the fight to bring peace and harmony to
the world.
It commemorates the landing at Gallipoli in 1915 (during
World War I), which saw men from two countries,
Australia and New Zealand, come together and fight as
one, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
The massive loss of life, was deeply felt, and today it
is a day we mark as ‘ANZAC Day: Lest We Forget’.
Visit our ANZAC
section for more information and links... |
Queen's Day
|
Sept/Oct - WA
Second Mon in June - rest of Australia |
The Queen's Birthday public holiday
occurs on the second Monday in June, except for Western
Australia, where it is celebrated in late September or
early October.
The holiday celebrates the birthday of Queen Elizabeth
II, who is not only Queen of Great Britain and Ireland,
but also Queen of Australia and New Zealand.
Queen Elizabeth II was actually born on April 21, 1926. |
Labour Day
|
First Mon in Oct - ACT, NSW, SA
First Monday in May - QLD
Second Mon in March - TAS
Second Mon in March - VIC
First Mon in March - WA |
In the Australian Capital Territory,
New South Wales and South Australia, the public holiday
falls on the first Monday in October.
In Queensland, Labor Day is the first Monday in May and
is known as May Day in the Northern Territory.
In Victoria, it falls on the second Monday in March.
In Western Australia, is falls on the first Monday in
March.
The equivalent public holiday in Tasmania is known as
Eight Hours Day and it falls on the second Monday in
March. |
Christmas Day
|
25th December |
Christmas Day celebrates the birth
of Jesus. |
Boxing Day
|
26th December |
An annual national public holiday in
Australia and New Zealand, celebrated the day after
Christmas Day.
The holiday got its name from an old tradition (that is
no longer observed) when employers gave boxed gifts to
their workers on the day after Christmas.
Today, it also heralds the start of the Sydney to Hobart
Yacht Race, as well as the start of the post-Christmas
shopping sales. |
|
 |
|
