When does daylight savings start again in Australia in 2025?
It’s hard to believe winter is over, and summer is on the way: mornings are warming up again, the sun is rising earlier and it’s time to put the woolly jumpers away.
That also means that it’s almost time for daylight savings to start again – at least, in certain states.
From Sunday, October 5 2025, people in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), New South Wales (NSW), South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria will lose an hour’s sleep as the clocks move forward by one hour.
Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory do not participate in daylight savings, mostly because the broader distance between their southern and northern latitudes would result in very different experiences for those that live there.
Do we gain or lose an hour in Australia?
For those who live in states that do observe daylight saving: clocks will jump forward by one hour at 2am AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time), becoming 3am AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Time.) That means an hour less sleep, but an extra hour of daylight in the evening.
How do clocks change for daylight savings?
Amid the droves of digital devices in most modern homes, not as much manual adjusting is required as a couple of decades ago.
Most smartphones, computers and digital devices will automatically adjust. If a traditional analogue clock has a place on one of the walls in your house, you’ll still need to wind the hands forward; likewise, you will need to adjust your ovens, microwaves and analogue wristwatch.
Many cars will require the internal clock to be wound forward by an hour. In older cars, this is usually done via the clock itself (sometimes there are two little buttons under the clock face), or within the settings menu (good luck!)
Do I gain or lose an hour of sleep when daylight savings starts?
You'll lose an hour of sleep when daylight savings starts – but you’ll also get an extra hour of daylight in the evening!
And, the days become longer as we move towards the summer solstice on December 22, 2025 (the longest day of the year), so the sun will linger in Sydney’s sky until close to 10pm.
Why does daylight saving time start on October 5 in Australia?
Daylight saving time starts on the first Sunday of October in Australia each year, for the jurisdictions that observe it.
For those living in NSW, the ACT and South Australia, the change in time coincides with the October long weekend – the perfect time to explore a perfect weekend escape (side note: remember this also means double demerits!)
When does daylight saving time end again in 2026?
Daylight saving time ends each year on the first Sunday of April in Australia. For 2026, that means daylight savings time will end on Sunday April 5.
The date continues to change each year, every six months, and always early on a Sunday morning.
Why does daylight savings begin and end on a Sunday in Australia?
There’s no written rule on this, however the assumption is that Sunday is a less disruptive day for businesses, schools and families.
Is daylight saving time different in other countries?
It certainly is. If you’re planning a northern hemisphere trip, keep in mind that daylight saving starts on different dates depending on where you land.
In the US, clocks spring forward on the second Sunday in March and don’t fall back until the first Sunday in November.
Over in the UK, the shift comes a little later, with daylight saving beginning on the last Sunday in March and wrapping up on the last Sunday in October.
Which Australian states observe daylight saving time?
There are five Australian states and territories that observe daylight savings time: the ACT, NSW, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria.
People in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia don’t observe daylight savings time – much to the delight of many farmers.
