Australia has a common core of 8 public holidays observed nationwide in practice, plus additional state and territory-specific holidays. The total varies by location, typically 10 to 13 days per year once state holidays and regional show days are included. The calculator uses the holiday set for the state or territory you select.

The common core public holidays observed nationwide in practice are: New Year's Day (1 Jan), Australia Day (26 Jan), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day (25 Apr), King's Birthday (date varies by state), Christmas Day (25 Dec), and Boxing Day (26 Dec, called Proclamation Day in SA). Most states also observe Easter Saturday, but not all jurisdictions treat it the same way.

Yes. Each state and territory adds extra holidays beyond the national ones. Examples include Melbourne Cup Day (VIC metro), Canberra Day and Reconciliation Day (ACT), and regional show days in QLD and NT. The calculator applies the jurisdiction you pick, including regional show days where relevant.

No. Most states observe the King's Birthday on the second Monday in June, but Queensland observes it in October and Western Australia sets the date by proclamation (usually late September or early October). Always select the correct state to apply the right date.

Under the National Employment Standards (NES), full-time and part-time employees are entitled to be absent on public holidays, unless a reasonable request to work is made and accepted. Awards and agreements often provide penalty rates or an alternative day off in lieu. The calculator focuses on date counting rather than employment entitlements.

While most states observe the King's Birthday on the second Monday of June, Queensland moved it to October to avoid clashing with school holidays, and Western Australia sets the date by proclamation (usually late September or early October) to align with local scheduling. The calculator uses the selected state to apply the correct date.

Melbourne Cup Day is a public holiday observed on the first Tuesday in November in metropolitan Melbourne and some regional areas of Victoria. It coincides with the Melbourne Cup horse race and is not a statewide holiday in Victoria.

South Australia does not observe Boxing Day. Instead, it observes Proclamation Day on 26 December, commemorating the proclamation of South Australia as a British colony in 1836, and treats it as the public holiday on that date.

Reconciliation Day is a public holiday unique to the ACT, observed on the first Monday on or after 27 May. It marks the anniversary of the 1967 referendum and promotes reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

The number of public holidays varies, but Victoria (with Melbourne Cup Day) and the ACT (with Canberra Day and Reconciliation Day) typically have among the highest counts. Queensland and NT residents in regional areas may have additional show day holidays that increase the total.

In most states, when a public holiday falls on a Saturday, the following Monday becomes the substitute public holiday. Each state has its own rules, and some holidays (like Anzac Day) may not receive a substitute in some jurisdictions. The calculator applies the rules for your selected state.

In most states, when a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday becomes the substitute public holiday. If that Monday is already a public holiday (for example, Easter Monday), the substitute typically moves to the next available weekday.

Most public holidays have substitute day provisions, but the rules vary by state. For example, Anzac Day (25 April) does not attract a substitute day in some jurisdictions when it falls on a weekend, because the commemoration is tied to the specific date.

When Christmas Day falls on a Saturday and Boxing Day on a Sunday, Monday becomes the substitute for Christmas Day and Tuesday becomes the substitute for Boxing Day. This can create a four-day weekend from Saturday to Tuesday in most states.

Yes. Substitute public holidays carry the same entitlements as the original holiday under the National Employment Standards. Employees are entitled to be absent on the substitute day with the same pay and conditions.

Regional show days are public holidays observed in specific local government areas of Queensland and the Northern Territory, tied to local agricultural shows. These are gazetted public holidays that apply only within defined geographic boundaries.

Queensland has dozens of regional show day holidays each year (around 60 to 80 in recent datasets). The calculator includes 73 Queensland show days based on official gazetted lists, with dates varying based on when each local agricultural show is held.

The Northern Territory has show days for Alice Springs, Borroloola, Darwin, Katherine, and Tennant Creek. Each region observes its show day as a public holiday on the date of its local show.

Yes. If your workplace is within the defined boundary for a regional show day, all employees are entitled to that public holiday. The entitlement is based on workplace location, not the employee's residence, so multi-site employers may observe different dates per location.

Some areas in Queensland observe the Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) holiday instead, particularly in the Brisbane metro area. If your area has neither a local show day nor the Ekka holiday, you may be entitled to a different substitute holiday under an award or agreement.

A part-day public holiday is a public holiday that only applies for a portion of the day, typically evening hours. In Australia, this applies to Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve in Queensland, South Australia, and the Northern Territory and affects employment entitlements rather than deadline counting.

In Queensland, Christmas Eve is a part-day public holiday from 6pm to midnight. This applies to employment entitlements only and does not change business-day calculations.

In South Australia, both Christmas Eve (24 December) and New Year's Eve (31 December) are part-day public holidays from 7pm to midnight.

In the Northern Territory, both Christmas Eve (24 December) and New Year's Eve (31 December) are part-day public holidays from 7pm to midnight.

No. Part-day holidays apply to employment entitlements (such as penalty rates) but do not affect business day or working day calculations. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are still counted as full working days for deadline purposes in these states.

Court Rules Mode applies court-specific day-counting rules for the selected jurisdiction and court level. It handles short-period working-day thresholds, longer calendar-day rules, court recess windows, and roll-forward to the next open court day where required.

No. Thresholds and counting methods vary by jurisdiction and sometimes by court level. Some courts use working days for shorter periods and calendar days for longer periods, while others use calendar days for all periods. The calculator applies the rules for the court you select.

Where court rules specify a recess or vacation window, the calculator applies the relevant non-court days or suspensions for that jurisdiction. Always check the specific rule to confirm whether time stops running or simply extends the final day.

Yes. When a court rule counts in working days, public holidays for the selected state or territory are excluded. Court registry closure days can add additional non-court days beyond standard public holidays.

Choose the court and jurisdiction where the matter is filed. If a court has different levels (for example, Supreme or District vs Magistrates), select the level that matches the proceeding because the time rules may differ.

A non-court day includes weekends, public holidays, and court-declared closure days (such as registry closures or vacation periods). These can extend beyond standard public holidays and vary by court.

SOPA mode applies state and territory Security of Payment deadlines for construction payment claims. It uses the selected jurisdiction's day-counting rules and the relevant shutdown window where the legislation provides one.

SOPA deadlines are counted Monday to Friday and exclude public holidays. The calculator applies a consistent Mon-Fri count and then layers in any jurisdiction-specific shutdown windows that pause the clock.

Yes, where the relevant SOPA legislation provides a shutdown window. The calculator applies the shutdown preset for the selected jurisdiction (for example, NSW/SA/ACT or QLD/WA) and excludes those days from the count.

Most SOPA deadlines run from the day after the triggering event (such as service of a payment claim). The calculator starts counting from the next day unless the governing legislation states otherwise or specifies a different trigger.

Select the jurisdiction governing the contract or project location. SOPA deadlines vary by state and territory, so choosing the correct jurisdiction is essential for accurate results, especially where shutdown windows differ.

SOPA timeframes are strict. Missing a deadline can mean losing the right to issue a payment schedule response or apply for adjudication, so accurate counting and prompt service are critical.

A business day is a weekday (Monday to Friday) that is not a public holiday for the selected state or territory. Court Rules or SOPA modes can add extra non-counting days like court recesses or statutory shutdown windows.

Often yes in contracts, but not always. A working day can depend on a person's actual work pattern or a specific statutory definition. The calculator uses a standard Mon-Fri business-day definition unless a selected mode overrides it.

Not in business-day mode. If a statute or contract counts weekends, switch to calendar-day mode and select the unit (days, weeks, or months), or use a mode like Court Rules if it matches the legal rule.

The calculator lets you include or exclude the start and end dates and supports clear-day counting. Use the wording in your contract or rule (for example, after, by, or clear days) to choose the correct option and avoid off-by-one errors.

Yes. Public holidays vary by jurisdiction and can include regional show days or local observances. Selecting the correct state or territory is essential for accurate business-day counting.

Contracts often define business day by reference to banks, settlement systems, or a specific location. The calculator uses a default Mon-Fri definition unless you apply a mode that matches your contract or statute, so confirm any bespoke definition.