Public holidays in Australia

Keeping up with Public Holidays is not easy!

The number of public holidays in Australia and the timing of these public holidays can vary dramatically from state to state which is something those in the UK for example may not be used to. There are a number of national public holidays in Australia but there are also various state defined and territory defined public holidays throughout the country.

While the vast majority of public holidays in Australia were also non-working days for many people, this situation has changed over the last few years as indeed have the rates of pay received by those “obliged” to work on various public holidays throughout the year.

National public holidays in Australia

There are a number of national public holidays which are recognised throughout Australia which include :-

Christmas Day, Boxing Day (also known as Proclamation Day) and New Year’s Day

These are the more basic public holidays and while not everybody will be expected to work over the festive and New Year period there are a number of businesses and industrial sectors which need to maintain a presence over this time.

Australia Day

Australia Day is always celebrated on 26 January and is a holiday respected throughout Australia having been the first day of the establishment of the first English settlement at Port Jackson in 1788. There are record showing that this particular day has been celebrated in Australia since 1808 and since 1960 the day has always been used to announce the winner of the Australian of the year award.

Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday

The Easter period is also recognised across Australia as a public holiday although some states also recognise Easter Tuesday as a day of rest. The actual date of these public holidays will vary from year to year and will depend upon when Easter falls.

Anzac Day

The Anzac Day public holiday always falls on 25 April and offers the Australian population an opportunity to remember those who fell during the various wars in which the country was involved. Originally used as a day to commemorate those in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who landed at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I it has since been expanded and is used as a day of remembrance.

The Queen’s Birthday

Despite the fact that there has been much talk about relieving the Queen of England of her duties as the Queen of Australia, there is still an underlying warmth for the lady in question. As a consequence, the Queen’s Birthday is always recognised on the second Monday in June with the exception of Western Australia where the day can vary because of the Foundation Day Public holiday on the first Monday in June.

It will surprise many to learn that celebrating the Queen’s Birthday is still a well respected and very firm tradition amongst the Australian population. Celebrating the birthday of the head of the country began in 1788 when a public holiday was declared to mark the birthday of King George III.

Public holidays celebrated by individual territories

There are a number of specific territory public holidays in Australia which include :-

Canberra Day

This is a holiday specifically celebrated in the ACT (Australian Capital Territory) celebrating the official act of naming Canberra which occurred in 1913. The public holiday falls on the second Monday in March after originally falling on the third Monday in March.

Melbourne Cup Day

This is a public holiday which occurs on the first Tuesday of November each year in celebration of the Melbourne Cup. This is a horse racing day which is recognised by many people in Australia and is also referred to as the “Family and Community Day”. Due to an amendment to the Public Holidays Act 1993, from 24 September 2008 Melbourne Cup Day is an officially recognised public holiday in the state.

Geelong Cup Day

The Geelong cup Day also relates to horse racing, a massive love of the Austrian population, and is always held on the fourth Wednesday of October in the city of Geelong in Victoria.

Queensland day

Rather bizarrely, while Queensland Day is officially celebrated on 6 June as the date on which the Australian state of Queensland was formed, this is not actually an official public holiday. It does however have a long history and is a well respected celebration in Queensland.

Adelaide Cup Day

We are starting to see a pattern emerging regarding Australian public holidays with the Adelaide Cup held on the second Monday of March since 2006. Prior to this date it was held in May although it is still proving to be as popular as ever. The event is held at the Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide Australia.

Foundation Day

While the official date of “Foundation Day” is 1 June the public holiday for this particular celebration occurs on the first Monday in June – in Western Australia only. This is the reason why the Queen’s Day of celebration has been moved in this particular state, now held in September or October.

Picnic Day

The rather bizarrely named Picnic Day is a celebration in the Northern Territory of Australia which occurs on the first Monday of August. It has a history which goes back many years and relates to a day of holiday given to those working on Darwin’s railway which allowed them to go to the Adelaide River for a picnic.

Other public holidays in Australia

There are also a number of so-called “long weekends” which are celebrated in various areas of Australia throughout the year and while many have nicknamed Australia as the “land of the long weekend” the country actually has fewer public holidays than the vast majority of countries around the world.

Conclusion

There are many different types of public holidays celebrated around Australia with significant differences from state to state. While initially, like countries such as the UK, many of these public holidays saw local businesses and local industries close down for the day, this is a tradition which has in many places fallen by the wayside. Many people are now expected to work various public holidays throughout the year although in many cases they will receive an increased hourly rate for these days.

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