Australian Public Holidays 2025

About Australian Public Holidays

Public holidays in Australia vary between states and territories. While some holidays like New Year's Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Christmas Day are observed nationwide, each state also has its own unique public holidays.

Our tool helps you find all public holidays for your state or territory in 2025, making it easier to plan your time off from work. To maximize your leave periods, consider combining annual leave with public holidays, especially around Easter and Christmas/New Year periods.

Planning Your Annual Leave Around Public Holidays

One of the best ways to maximize your time off is to plan your annual leave around public holidays. For example, taking leave around the Easter period gives you a longer break without using as many annual leave days.

Use our state-specific Annual Leave Calculators to help plan and optimize your time off.

Complete Guide to Australian Public Holidays 2025-2027

Australia's public holiday calendar features a mix of national celebrations and state-specific observances. This guide provides comprehensive information about public holidays across all Australian states and territories for the years 2025 through 2027.

National vs. State Public Holidays

While some public holidays are celebrated nationwide, many are specific to individual states and territories. National public holidays include:

• New Year's Day (January 1)
• Australia Day (January 26)
• Good Friday and Easter Monday
• Anzac Day (April 25)
• Christmas Day (December 25)
• Boxing Day (December 26)

Each state and territory also observes its own unique holidays, such as:

• Labour Day/Eight Hour Day (varies by state)
• Queen's/King's Birthday (June, varies by state)
• Melbourne Cup Day (VIC)
• Western Australia Day (WA)
• Picnic Day (NT)
• Canberra Day (ACT)
• Adelaide Cup Day (SA)
• Royal Hobart Regatta (TAS - south only)

Public Holiday Entitlements for Employees

Under the National Employment Standards (NES), employees in Australia are entitled to be absent from work on public holidays. Full-time and part-time employees receive payment for public holidays at their base rate of pay for ordinary hours they would have worked. Special rules apply for casual employees and shift workers.

Employers may request employees to work on public holidays, but employees have the right to refuse if the request is unreasonable. Factors considered when determining if a request is reasonable include:

• The nature of the workplace and employee's duties
• The employee's personal circumstances
• Whether the employee is entitled to additional compensation
• The amount of notice given
• Whether the request aligns with workplace agreements

2025 Public Holiday Calendar (National Dates)

Strategic Leave Planning for 2025

To maximize your time off in 2025, consider these strategic periods for taking annual leave:

• April (Easter Period): Take 4 days of annual leave (April 14-17) for a 10-day break (April 12-21)
• Anzac Day Long Weekend: Take 1 day of annual leave (April 24) for a 4-day weekend (April 24-27)
• Christmas/New Year Period: Take 3 days of annual leave (December 22-24 and December 29-31) for a 10-day break (December 20-January 4)
• Australia Day (January): Take 1 day of annual leave (January 24) for a 4-day weekend (January 24-27)

Looking Ahead: 2026-2027 Public Holidays

Key dates for public holidays in 2026-2027 include:

2026

• New Year's Day: Thursday, January 1
• Australia Day: Monday, January 26
• Good Friday: April 3
• Easter Monday: April 6
• Anzac Day: Saturday, April 25 (observed Monday, April 27 in some states)
• Christmas Day: Friday, December 25
• Boxing Day: Saturday, December 26 (observed Monday, December 28 in most states)

2027

• New Year's Day: Friday, January 1
• Australia Day: Tuesday, January 26
• Good Friday: March 26
• Easter Monday: March 29
• Anzac Day: Sunday, April 25 (observed Monday, April 26 in most states)
• Christmas Day: Saturday, December 25 (observed Monday, December 27 in most states)
• Boxing Day: Sunday, December 26 (observed Tuesday, December 28 in most states)

For more specific information about individual state and territory public holidays, explore our detailed guides for each Australian state or use our interactive tools to plan your leave strategically.