Australia is divided into three primary time zones: Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST), Australian Central Standard Time (ACST), and Australian Western Standard Time (AWST). AEST (UTC+10) covers New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory. ACST (UTC+9:30) includes South Australia and the Northern Territory. AWST (UTC+8) encompasses Western Australia. Some regions observe daylight saving time, shifting time by one hour during the summer months, further diversifying the country's timekeeping.
Expore the time zone map of Australia to locate the regions of different time zones in Australia.
Daylight Saving Time
States / Territories
Zone
Standard
DST
CC
Cocos
UTC+06:30 (year round)
UTC+06:30 (year round)
CX
Christmas
UTC+07:00 (year round)
UTC+07:00 (year round)
WA
Western
UTC+08:00 (year round)
UTC+08:00 (year round)
NT
Central
UTC+09:30 (year round)
UTC+09:30 (year round)
SA, Broken Hill
Central
UTC+09:30
UTC+10:30
QLD
Eastern
UTC+10:00 (year round)
UTC+10:00 (year round)
NSW, TAS, Macquarie Island, VIC, ACT, JBT
Eastern
UTC+10:00
UTC+11:00
NF
Norfolk
UTC+11:00
UTC+12:00
Australian Time Zones ( Official )
Full name of time zone
Australian Western Standard Time (WST)
Australian Central Standard Time (ACST)
Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST)
Short name of time zone
Western Standard Time (WST)
Central Standard Time (CST)
Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Hours and minutes ahead of GMT
+ 8:00
+ 9:30
+10:00
State or territory
Western Australia
Northern Territory, South Australia
Queensland, New South Wales , Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Tasmania
Daylight Saving Time in Australia
Australian State / Territory
Start of DST
End of DST
Western Australia
-
-
Queensland
-
-
Northern Territory
-
-
South Australia
1st Sunday in October
1st Sunday in April
New South Wales
1st Sunday in October
1st Sunday in April
Australian Capital Territory
1st Sunday in October
1st Sunday in April
Jervis Bay Territory
1st Sunday in October
1st Sunday in April
Victoria
1st Sunday in October
1st Sunday in April
Tasmania
1st Sunday in October
1st Sunday in April
External Territories
Australian Territory
DST
Standard
Heard and McDonald Islands
no DST
UTC+05:00
Cocos (Keeling) Islands CCT
no DST
UTC+06:30
Christmas Island CXT
no DST
UTC+07:00
Norfolk Island NFT/NFDT
UTC+12:00
UTC+11:00
Australian Antarctic Territory - Mawson
no DST
UTC+05:00
Australian Antarctic Territory - Davis
no DST
UTC+07:00
Australian Antarctic Territory - Casey
no DST
UTC+08:00
Database of IANA Time Zone
The IANA time zone database lists 18 different time zones for Australia, as detailed in its zone.tab file.
C.C.
Coordinates
TZ
Comments
DST
UTC Offset
NF
−2903+16758
Pacific/Norfolk
+12:00
+11:00
AU
−3133+15905
Australia/Lord_Howe
Lord Howe Island
+11:00
+10:30
AU
−5430+15857
Antarctica/Macquarie
Macquarie Island
+11:00
+10:00
AU
−3352+15113
Australia/Sydney
New South Wales (most areas)
+11:00
+10:00
AU
−4253+14719
Australia/Hobart
Tasmania
+11:00
+10:00
AU
−3749+14458
Australia/Melbourne
Victoria
+11:00
+10:00
AU
−2728+15302
Australia/Brisbane
Queensland (most areas)
+10:00
+10:00
AU
−2016+14900
Australia/Lindeman
Queensland (Whitsunday Islands)
+10:00
+10:00
AU
−3157+14127
Australia/Broken_Hill
New South Wales (Yancowinna)
+10:30
+9:30
AU
−3455+13835
Australia/Adelaide
South Australia
+10:30
+9:30
AU
−1228+13050
Australia/Darwin
Northern Territory
+9:30
+9:30
AU
−3143+12852
Australia/Eucla
Western Australia (Eucla)
+8:45
+8:45
AU
−3157+11551
Australia/Perth
Western Australia (most areas)
+08:00
+08:00
CX
−1025+10543
Indian/Christmas
+07:00
+07:00
AQ
−6835+07758
Antarctica/Davis
Davis
+07:00
+07:00
CC
−1210+09655
Indian/Cocos
+6:30
+6:30
AQ
−6736+06253
Antarctica/Mawson
Mawson
+05:00
+05:00
Australian Time Zones
Australia's time zones are an integral part of its daily life, given the vast expanse of the country and the need for synchronized timekeeping across its diverse regions. The country is divided into three primary time zones: Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST), Australian Central Standard Time (ACST), and Australian Western Standard Time (AWST). These time zones help manage the day-to-day activities of Australia's population, which is spread over 7.7 million square kilometers, making it the world's sixth-largest country by total area.
Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST)
AEST (UTC+10) covers the eastern part of Australia, including the states of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory. This time zone is the most populous, as it includes major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Canberra.
Population: Approximately 60% of Australia's population lives in the AEST zone.
Daylight Saving Time: During daylight saving time, which runs from the first Sunday in October to the first Sunday in April, clocks are moved forward one hour to Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT, UTC+11). Notably, Queensland does not observe daylight saving time, maintaining AEST throughout the year.
Australian Central Standard Time (ACST)
ACST (UTC+9:30) is observed in South Australia, the Northern Territory, and the town of Broken Hill in western New South Wales. This time zone is unique due to its 30-minute difference from AEST.
Population: This zone includes key cities like Adelaide and Darwin, representing about 10% of the Australian population.
Daylight Saving Time: South Australia observes daylight saving time, changing to Australian Central Daylight Time (ACDT, UTC+10:30) during the summer months. The Northern Territory, however, does not participate in daylight saving time and remains on ACST year-round.
Australian Western Standard Time (AWST)
AWST (UTC+8) covers the entire state of Western Australia. This time zone is two hours behind AEST and one and a half hours behind ACST.
Population: Western Australia, with its capital city Perth, comprises roughly 10% of the national population.
Daylight Saving Time: Western Australia does not observe daylight saving time, maintaining AWST throughout the year. There have been several referenda on the matter, with the most recent in 2009, where the majority voted against adopting daylight saving time.
Impact of Daylight Saving Time
Daylight saving time (DST) has a significant impact on the daily lives of Australians, particularly in regions that observe the time change. DST aims to make better use of daylight during the evening hours, providing more daylight for activities after work or school. However, it also brings about certain challenges, such as the need for adjustments in timekeeping and potential confusion in scheduling across different time zones.
Time Zone Management and Coordination
Managing multiple time zones within a single country requires efficient coordination, especially for national businesses, government operations, and transportation. Airlines, railways, and other transportation services must account for time zone differences to ensure accurate scheduling and prevent confusion among travelers.
Technological Integration
Modern technology has eased the challenges associated with multiple time zones. Digital devices automatically adjust for time changes based on their geographical location, and scheduling software allows for time zone conversion, making it easier to plan meetings and events across different regions.
Historical Context
Australia’s time zones have evolved over time, influenced by the need for standardization and efficient timekeeping. The introduction of time zones in the late 19th century followed the global trend towards the adoption of standard time zones, which replaced the previous system of local mean time based on the position of the sun.
