NEED TO KNOW
- Daylight savings begins on Sunday, October 4, 2026.
- Daylight savings takes place in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
- It will come to an end on Sunday, April 4, 2027.
Whether you love it or hate it, daylight savings time is almost here and that means half of Australia will be changing their clocks to make the most of the summer season. Despite daylight savings being an annual occurrence, there’s still plenty of confusion that shrouds daylight savings season every year.
So, here’s everything you need to know so you don’t accidentally skip an appointment or sleep in from setting the clocks wrong.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Why do we have daylight savings?
- Which states go by daylight savings time?
- When does daylight savings start in 2026?
- When does daylight savings end?
- Do we lose or gain an hour when daylight savings start?
- Do the clocks turn forwards or backwards?
Why do we have daylight savings?
Daylight savings is when we turn the clocks forward an hour during the warmer months of the year so that we can enjoy as much daylight in the evening as possible.
According to the NSW government, the practice is a better use of natural daylight and helps to reduce energy usage.
Which states go by daylight savings time?
Not all states and territories in Australia abide by daylight savings time. Daylight savings takes place in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
Meanwhile, the time zones in Queensland, Western Australia and Northern Territory stay the same.
When does daylight savings start in 2026?
Daylight savings kicks off on Sunday, October 4 at 2am Eastern Standard Time (AEST). This means that at 2am, clocks are moved forward by one hour to 3am.
When does daylight savings end?
Daylight savings comes to an end on Sunday, April 4, 2027 at 3am Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT). This means that at 3am, clocks are moved back one hour to 2am.
As a result, we get more sunlight in the morning.
Do we lose or gain an hour when daylight savings start?
If you’re feeling a little bit more tired than usual on Sunday, October 4, it’s become we technically lose an hour of sleep when the clock jumps forward. If you ask us, the hour of sleep lost is a small price to pay for the extra sunlight in the evening during the warmer months!
Do the clocks turn forwards or backwards?
On October 4, the clocks go forward by an hour.
Thankfully, most smart devices and smartphones automatically adjust the time to align with daylights savings so you don’t have to do anything! However, for any analogue watches, appliances or clocks on the wall, you’ll have to adjust it manually.
Now that we’re just days away from daylight savings kicking off, we can’t wait for longer sun-soaked evenings and being able to enjoy the sunlight after clocking off from work.
Happy daylight savings everyone!
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
