Sad news! Long summer evenings are coming to an end as daylight saving time is about to finish for another year.
If you’re in one of the states that observes daylight saving, it’s time to get ready to turn those clocks back.
Here’s everything you need to know.
When do clocks go back in Australia in 2026?
Daylight saving ends at 2am on Sunday, April 5, 2026. That means this coming weekend, you’ll be turning your clocks back by one hour.
Do clocks go back or forward in April?
In April, clocks go back by one hour. So at 2am on Sunday April 5, the time will revert back to 1am.
The good news? You’ll gain an extra hour of sleep this weekend. The not-so-good news? The evenings will start getting darker earlier as we head into autumn and winter.
While your phone will likely update automatically, don’t forget to manually change the time on your oven, microwave, car radio and any analog clocks around the house.
Which Australian states and territories observe daylight saving?
Not all states participate — and it can get confusing! Daylight saving is observed in NSW, VIC, ACT, SA and TAS only.
If you’re in QLD, WA or NT, your clocks stay the same all year round.
When does daylight saving start again in Australia in 2026?
Already missing those long summer evenings? Daylight saving will start again at 2am on Sunday, October 4, 2026. This is when clocks in the participating states will spring forward by one hour again.
Do you gain or lose an hour when daylight saving ends?
When daylight saving ends in April, you gain an hour — great news for a sleep in this Sunday morning.
When daylight saving starts again in October, you lose an hour as the clocks spring forward.
Why doesn’t Queensland observe daylight saving?
Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory do not observe daylight saving, instead they remain on Standard Time year round.
Queensland last trialled it between 1989 and 1992, with residents voting against it in a 1992 referendum.
Reasons cited have historically included the impact on farming, children travelling to school in the dark and the state’s already-sunny climate.
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