Do Australian states have different public holidays?

Yes. National holidays such as Australia Day, Anzac Day, and Christmas apply everywhere, but each state and territory adds its own — for example Labour Day falls on different dates, and Victoria observes Melbourne Cup Day while Queensland has Queen's/King's Birthday in October.

How does the substitution rule work?

When a fixed-date national holiday such as Australia Day, Christmas Day, or Boxing Day falls on a weekend, a substitute holiday is observed on the following Monday (and Tuesday where two collide). The tool deducts the substitute day actually taken.

How are Easter holidays handled?

Good Friday and Easter Monday are computed from Easter Sunday using the Anonymous Gregorian (Gauss) algorithm, so they are accurate for any year. Most states also observe Easter Saturday, which is included.

Are local show-day or regional holidays included?

No. The dataset uses each state or territory's gazetted public holidays that apply statewide. Local agricultural show days and regional holidays vary by council and are not deducted; add them manually if relevant.

Is the date range inclusive of both ends?

Yes, both the start and end date are counted. If the start date is after the end date the tool reports zero working days.

Australia Public Holiday Counter

Australian public holidays vary substantially by state and territory: the national core (Australia Day, Anzac Day, Christmas) is shared, but Labour Day, the monarch’s birthday, and extras like Melbourne Cup Day differ across NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, ACT, and NT. This tool counts net working days between two dates using the correct gazetted set for the jurisdiction you select, with weekend substitution applied.

How it works

For every year in your range, the tool builds the jurisdiction’s holiday set from three rule types:

Fixed-date national holidays (New Year’s Day, Australia Day on 26 January, Christmas Day, Boxing Day) get a substitute on the next Monday/Tuesday when they fall on a weekend.
Easter holidays — Good Friday, Easter Saturday, and Easter Monday — are derived from Easter Sunday with the Gauss algorithm.
State-specific holidays (Labour Day, King’s Birthday, Melbourne Cup Day, Picnic Day, and so on) are placed on their per-state dates or weekday rules.

It then walks the inclusive range, removing Saturdays, Sundays, and any holiday date.

Notes and example

Australia Day 2025-01-26 falls on a Sunday, so the public holiday is observed on Monday 2025-01-27 — and that Monday is the weekday deducted. Christmas Day and Boxing Day substitutions cascade so two consecutive weekday holidays are taken when both land on a weekend.

The dataset covers statewide gazetted holidays. Local show days and regional council holidays are not included, so confirm against your local calendar when a deadline is binding.