How do public holidays and school holidays work?

Australia has a handful of national public holidays, and each state adds its own, so the calendar in Melbourne isn’t the same as in Brisbane or Perth. School holidays differ by state too. Here’s how it fits together.

National and state holidays

All states and territories have public holidays for New Year’s Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. All have the King’s Birthday too, but not on the same day. On top of that, each state adds its own: Easter Saturday in some states, Labour Day on different dates, Melbourne Cup Day and the Friday before the AFL Grand Final in Victoria, and local show days in parts of Queensland and other states.

When a holiday falls at a weekend, states often move it to the next weekday, or add an extra day. Check the Fair Work Ombudsman list for your state each year. Some regional areas differ

Your rights at work

• If you don’t normally work on the day of the holiday, nothing changes. If you do, and you’re full-time or part-time, you get the day off on your normal pay
• Your employer can ask you to work. You can refuse if the request isn’t reasonable or your refusal is reasonable: things like your caring responsibilities, how much notice you got, and the type of job all count
• If you work, you’re usually paid penalty rates. The rate depends on your award or agreement. Casual staff are only paid if they work the day
• When a state moves a holiday to a substitute day, the substitute day is the one that counts for pay

See Your rights at work for more on pay and leave.

School terms

Each state sets its own dates for government schools. The year has four terms, with about two weeks’ break between terms and around six weeks in summer. Catholic and independent schools often have slightly different dates, and Victoria’s and Queensland’s terms usually start earlier than NSW’s and WA’s.

Flights and holiday rentals cost much more in school holidays, especially in summer and at Easter. If you’re booking a trip to the UK, check your school’s calendar first. See schools.

Australia Day

26 January marks the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788. Many people spend it at a barbecue or the beach, and councils hold citizenship ceremonies and community awards. For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the date marks the start of dispossession, and some call it Invasion Day, Survival Day or a Day of Mourning. Some people go to marches or Survival Day events instead of celebrations. It’s a real debate, and it’s fine to ask colleagues and neighbours how they mark it.

Anzac Day

Anzac Day, 25 April, remembers the landing at Gallipoli at dawn on 25 April 1915 and all Australians and New Zealanders who have served. Dawn services are held in cities and towns across the country, followed by marches. It’s a day of remembrance, and anyone can go to a service.

Christmas and Easter

Christmas falls in summer, at the start of the long school break, and many businesses close between Christmas and New Year. Easter is a four-day weekend in most states, and the April school holidays usually fall around it. Many shops close on Good Friday and Christmas Day, so plan shopping ahead.