How many public holidays are there in 2026?

It depends on the state: between 11 (Tasmania, excluding regional days) and 13-15 including part-day and additional holidays. National holidays — New Year's Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Anzac Day and Christmas Day — apply everywhere; the rest are state-specific.

Is there an extra public holiday for Anzac Day 2026?

In NSW, the ACT and WA — yes, Monday 27 April 2026, because Anzac Day falls on a Saturday. Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory observe it on the Saturday only.

What are the school holidays for 2026?

They vary by state. Most states have roughly two-week breaks in April, July and September/October, with the summer break from mid-December to late January or early February. Pick your state above for the exact government-school term dates from your education department.

How do I count business days between two dates?

Count the weekdays in the range, then remove any gazetted full-day public holidays for your state. This page's counter does it automatically for 2026 and 2027 using the official Fair Work holiday lists, including additional (substitute) holidays.

Do public holidays differ between states?

Yes, significantly. Beyond the five national days each state gazettes its own — for example Melbourne Cup Day in Victoria, Picnic Day in the NT and Western Australia Day in WA — and states substitute weekend holidays differently, so business-day counts and long weekends differ by state.

What am I paid if I work on a public holiday?

Award-covered employees typically get penalty rates — often 225% to 250% of the base rate. If you'd normally work that day and take it off, you're paid your ordinary rate. Check your specific award classification with the award pay calculator.

Official Fair Work lists — 2026 and 2027 loaded

Public Holidays & Business Days Calculator

Every public holiday for all 8 states and territories, government school term dates, business days between any two dates, and a leave planner that finds the longest breaks for the fewest annual leave days.

New South Wales public holidays 2026

13 gazetted holidays. Part-day and regional holidays are noted.

New Year's Day
Thu, 1 Jan
Australia Day
Mon, 26 Jan
Good Friday
Fri, 3 Apr
Easter Saturday
Sat, 4 Apr
Easter Sunday
Sun, 5 Apr
Easter Monday
Mon, 6 Apr
Anzac Day
Sat, 25 Apr
Additional public holiday for Anzac Day
Mon, 27 Apr
King's Birthday
Mon, 8 June
Labour Day
Mon, 5 Oct
Christmas Day
Fri, 25 Dec
Boxing Day
Sat, 26 Dec
Additional public holiday for Boxing Day
Mon, 28 Dec

Next public holiday in NSW

Labour Day — Mon, 5 Oct 2026

Business days between dates

Working days excluding weekends and NSW public holidays (part-day and regional holidays still count as working days).

From

To (inclusive)

Business days

114

Total days163

Weekend days46

Public holidays on weekdays3

Excluded: Labour Day (Mon, 5 Oct), Christmas Day (Fri, 25 Dec), Additional public holiday for Boxing Day (Mon, 28 Dec).

Leave planner — longest breaks for the fewest leave days

Windows in 2026 where bridging New South Wales public holidays with 1–4 days of annual leave at least doubles your time off.

Break	Take leave on	Leave days	Days off	Built around
Thu, 1 Jan – Sun, 4 Jan	Fri, 2 Jan	1	4	New Year's Day
Sat, 24 Jan – Tue, 27 Jan	Tue, 27 Jan	1	4	Australia Day
Fri, 3 Apr – Tue, 7 Apr	Tue, 7 Apr	1	5	Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday
Sat, 25 Apr – Tue, 28 Apr	Tue, 28 Apr	1	4	Anzac Day, Additional public holiday for Anzac Day
Sat, 6 June – Tue, 9 June	Tue, 9 June	1	4	King's Birthday
Sat, 3 Oct – Tue, 6 Oct	Tue, 6 Oct	1	4	Labour Day
Fri, 25 Dec – Tue, 29 Dec	Tue, 29 Dec	1	5	Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Additional public holiday for Boxing Day

New South Wales school term dates 2026

Government-school student dates from the NSW education authority. Private and independent schools set their own dates.

Term	Starts	Ends	Notes
Term 1	Mon, 2 Feb	Thu, 2 Apr	Western division starts 9 February
Term 2	Wed, 22 Apr	Fri, 3 July
Term 3	Tue, 21 July	Fri, 25 Sept
Term 4	Tue, 13 Oct	Thu, 17 Dec

Public holidays and penalty rates

Working a public holiday usually attracts penalty rates under your award — commonly 225–250% of the base rate in retail and hospitality. If you're rostered on for any of the dates above, check what you should be paid with the Award & Fair Work Pay Calculator. Full-time and part-time employees who'd normally work that day are entitled to be absent on full pay.

Why business-day counts matter

Settlement periods, notice periods, invoice payment terms and bank transfers are usually quoted in business days, and public holidays differ by state — the same "10 business days" ends on different dates in Melbourne and Perth. This counter uses the official gazetted holidays for the state you pick, and leaves part-day holidays (like SA's 7 pm New Year's Eve holiday) and regional-only days (like Brisbane's Royal Queensland Show) in the working-day count.

School holidays 2026

School holidays are the gaps between the terms above — roughly two weeks after Terms 1–3 and the long summer break after Term 4. Term dates differ noticeably by state in 2026: Queensland, Victoria and South Australia go back in late January while NSW, WA, ACT and Tasmania start in February, and Tasmania's terms run latest into each break. If you're planning family travel, the leave planner above shows where public holidays fall next to term boundaries.

Official sources

Holiday dates are the Fair Work Ombudsman's official 2026 and 2027 lists (Fair Work Act 2009 s 115); school terms come from each state's education authority. States occasionally gazette extra or changed holidays — check your state's site before locking in plans.

How to Use This Calculator

1Pick your state or territory and the year — the holiday list, planner and school terms update.
2Check the next upcoming public holiday and the full gazetted list, including part-day and regional notes.
3Use the business-days counter for settlement periods, notice periods or payment terms.
4Scan the leave planner for windows where a few days of annual leave bridge holidays into a long break.

How public holidays work in Australia

Each state and territory gazettes its own public holidays — there is no single national list. National days like Anzac Day and Christmas are common to all, but each jurisdiction adds its own (Melbourne Cup, WA Day, Picnic Day) and handles weekend substitution differently.

When a holiday falls on a weekend, most states declare an additional weekday holiday (like Monday 28 December 2026 for Boxing Day), but the rules differ — in 2026 NSW, ACT and WA gained a Monday 27 April holiday for Anzac Day while the others didn't.

Employees get paid time off (or penalty rates if they work) on the holidays for the state where they work, not where their employer is based.

What differs by state

State-only holidays: Melbourne Cup (VIC), Picnic Day (NT), WA Day, Canberra Day, Adelaide Cup, Eight Hours Day (TAS), Reconciliation Day (ACT).
Weekend substitution: Anzac Day 2026 falls on a Saturday — NSW, ACT and WA add Monday 27 April; VIC, QLD, SA, TAS and NT don't.
Part-day holidays: QLD, SA and NT have evening-only holidays on Christmas Eve (and NYE in SA/NT) with penalty rates from 6 or 7 pm.
Regional holidays: Show days and regattas apply only in parts of QLD, TAS, WA and VIC.

Getting the most from your leave

•Easter and Anzac Day land close together in 2026 (3–6 April and 25–27 April) — the best-value leave window of the year in most states.
•The 25 Dec 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 stretch needs only 2–3 leave days for 10+ days off in most states.
•Book leave around your own state's holidays, not the east-coast dates — WA and SA differ from NSW/VIC several times a year.
•If you work public holidays, verify your penalty rate against your award rather than your contract.

Frequently Asked Questions