Millions of Australians will need to set their clocks forward by one hour as daylight saving time begins on Sunday, October 1, 2023. At 2:00 am local time, clocks will jump to 3:00 am in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, and South Australia, resulting in one less hour of sleep.
Daylight saving will remain in effect until Sunday, April 7, 2024, when clocks will be set back by one hour. The change provides an extra hour of sunlight in the evenings during the warmer months. Most internet-connected devices will update automatically, but analog clocks and older technology will need to be adjusted manually.
Not all Australian states and territories observe daylight saving. Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Christmas Island, and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands do not participate. During daylight saving, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania operate on Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT), while South Australia uses Australian Central Daylight Time (ACDT), remaining half an hour behind AEDT.
Daylight saving has a long history in Australia, first introduced during World War I and World War II to conserve resources. Most states adopted it permanently in 1971, but Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory later discontinued it after trial periods. A 1992 referendum in Queensland saw a majority vote against daylight saving, though a recent survey by University of Queensland researcher Dr Thomas Sigler indicated that 67% of Queenslanders now support reintroduction.
