Standard timeStandard time is the result of synchronizing clocks in different geographical locations within a time zone to the same time rather than using the local meridian as in local mean time or solar time. The time so set has come to be defined in terms of offsets from Universal Time...
is used throughout Australia, it was introduced in the 1890s when all colonies adopted it. Before the switch to standard times, each local municipality was free to determine its own local time, called
local mean timeLocal mean time is a form of solar time that corrects the variations of local apparent time, forming a uniform time scale at a specific longitude...
.
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
has three standard
time zoneA time zone is a region of the earth that has uniform standard time, usually referred to as the local time. By convention, time zones compute their local time as an offset from UTC . Local time is UTC plus the current time zone offset for the considered location.-Introduction:Time zones are...
s from GMT: western (
UTC+8UTC+8 is a band of timezones separated from the Greenwich Mean Time by 8 hours.With an estimated population of 1,53 billion living within the time zone, roughly 22,5% of the world population, it's the most populated time zone in world, as well as a possible candidate for ASEAN Common Time.-As...
), central (
UTC+9:30UTC+9:30 is used in the following locations:-As standard time : ** - Yancowinna County only** -External links:*...
) and eastern (
UTC+10The UTC+10 time zone covers the following locations:-As standard time : ** ** Chuuk, Yap and surrounding area ** **...
). Most Australian external territories also observe different time zones.
The proper names of Australia's time zones vary. In international contexts they are often called
Australian Western Standard Time (AWST),
Australian Central Standard Time (ACST), and
Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). In domestic contexts the leading "Australian" is often dropped.
Western Australia uses Western Standard Time, South Australia and the North Territory use Central Standard Time. All other states and the Australian Capital Territory use Eastern Standard Time.
New South Wales (NSW), the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Victoria (Vic), South Australia (SA), and Tasmania observe
daylight saving timeDaylight saving time is the convention of advancing clocks so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn...
every year. Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory do not observe daylight saving.
Though the states and territories have power to legislate time variations, the standard time within each is set in relation to
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)Coordinated Universal Time , ) is a time standard based on International Atomic Time with leap seconds added at irregular intervals to compensate for the Earth's slowing rotation...
, as determined by the
International Bureau of Weights and MeasuresThe International Bureau of Weights and Measures , is an international standards organization, one of three such organizations established to maintain the International System of Units under the terms of the Metre Convention...
and maintained under section 8AA of the
National Measurement Act 1960 of the Commonwealth.
Time zones
The standardization of time in Australia began in 1892, when surveyors from the Australian colonies gathered in Melbourne for the Intercolonial Conference of Surveyors. The delegates accepted the recommendation of the 1884
International Meridian ConferenceThe International Meridian Conference was a conference held in October 1884 in Washington, D.C., in the United States to determine the Prime Meridian of the world. The conference was held at the request of U.S. President Chester A...
to adopt
Greenwich Mean TimeGreenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is commonly used in practice to refer to Coordinated Universal Time when this is viewed as a time zone, especially by bodies connected with the United Kingdom, such as the BBC...
(GMT) as the basis for standard time, and in line with common practice in other parts of the world, devised a system of time zones with offsets in multiples of one hour from GMT. The colonies enacted legislation to this effect, which took effect in February 1895.
Western AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Australia's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.2 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state.The state's capital...
led GMT by 8 hours,
South AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories....
by 9 hours, and
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia that occupies the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
,
New South WalesNew South Wales is Australia's most populous state, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria, south of Queensland and east of South Australia...
,
VictoriaVictoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, and Tasmania to the south, across the Bass Strait. Victoria is the most densely populated state, with over 70% of...
and
TasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is located south of the eastern side of the continent, from which it is separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania – the 26th largest island in the world – and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 500,000 ,...
by 10 hours. The three time zones became known as Western, Central and Eastern Standard Time.
In May 1899, South Australia advanced Central Standard Time by thirty minutes. Attempts in 1986 and 1994 to revert or to add another thirty minutes failed.
When the
Northern TerritoryThe Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
separated from South Australia, it retained Central Standard Time; likewise, when the
Australian Capital TerritoryThe Australian Capital Territory is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and its smallest self-governing internal territory. It is an inland enclave in New South Wales, and regularly referred to as Australia's 'Bush Capital'....
was created, it retained Eastern Standard Time.
Since that time, the only major change has been the adoption of Central Standard Time in
Broken Hill, New South WalesBroken Hill is an isolated mining city and Local Government Area in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. The world's largest mining company, BHP Billiton, has roots in the town....
, and the use of GMT+10:30 on
Lord Howe IslandLord Howe Island is a small island in the Tasman Sea east of the Australian mainland. The Lord Howe Island Group, including nearby Ball's Pyramid, is administered by the Lord Howe Island Board,, and is part of the Mid-North Coast Statistical Division of New South Wales, Australia...
.
State legislation
In Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT, the start and end dates of daylight-saving time are officially determined by
proclamationA proclamation is an official declaration.In English law, a proclamation is a formal announcement , made under the great seal, of some matter which the King in Council or Queen in Council desires to make known to his or her subjects: e.g., the declaration of war, the statement of neutrality, the...
, declaration or regulation made by the state governor or responsible minister. Such instruments may be valid for only the current year and so this section generally only refers to the legislation. In New South Wales and Western Australia, the start and end dates, if any, are fixed by legislation.
Western Standard Time (AWST) - UTC+8 hours
- Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Australia's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.2 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state.The state's capital...
- Standard Time Act 2005
Central Standard Time (ACST)- UTC+9:30 hours
- South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories....
- Standard Time Act 2009 and the Daylight Saving Act 1971
- Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
- Standard Time Act 2005
Eastern Standard Time (AEST) - UTC+10 hours
- Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia that occupies the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
- Standard Time Act 1894
- New South Wales
New South Wales is Australia's most populous state, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria, south of Queensland and east of South Australia...
- Standard Time Act 1987 No 149
- Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and its smallest self-governing internal territory. It is an inland enclave in New South Wales, and regularly referred to as Australia's 'Bush Capital'....
- Standard Time and Summer Time Act 1972
- Victoria
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, and Tasmania to the south, across the Bass Strait. Victoria is the most densely populated state, with over 70% of...
- Summer Time Act 1972
- Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is located south of the eastern side of the continent, from which it is separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania – the 26th largest island in the world – and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 500,000 ,...
- Standard Time Act 1895 and the Daylight Saving Act 2007
Anomalies
The town of
Broken HillBroken Hill is an isolated mining city and Local Government Area in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. The world's largest mining company, BHP Billiton, has roots in the town....
(specified as
Yancowinna CountyYancowinna County, New South Wales is one of the 141 Cadastral divisions of New South Wales. It contains the city of Broken Hill and village of Silverton.Some NSW industrial relations laws have excluded the county of Yancowinna...
), in far-western
New South WalesNew South Wales is Australia's most populous state, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria, south of Queensland and east of South Australia...
, follows
South AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories....
n time.
Some residents of towns on the
Eyre Highway-Location:Named after Edward John Eyre the Eyre Highway is a highway linking Western Australia and South Australia. It forms part of Highway 1 and the Australian National Highway network linking Perth and Adelaide...
(including Eucla, Caiguna, Madura, Mundrabilla and Border Village) in the south-east corner of
Western AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Australia's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.2 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state.The state's capital...
near the South Australian border do not follow official Western Australian time. Instead, they use what is unofficially known as Central Western Standard Time, which is halfway between Western and Central time--
UTC+8:45UTC+8:45 is used as a time in Australia . It is used by some roadhouses along the Eyre Highway in Western Australia and South Australia...
. The area maintained its fixed offset from UTC when daylight-saving time was introduced in South Australia. During Western Australia's trial of daylight-saving time from 2006-2009 the Central Western area also set its clocks ahead an hour during local summer. The total population of the area is estimated at just 200.
The
Indian Pacific|}The Indian Pacific is a twice-weekly passenger rail service running between Perth and Sydney, Australia operated by Great Southern Railway, with locomotives provided by Pacific National, usually led by an NR class...
train has its own time zone - a so-called "train time" when travelling between
KalgoorlieKalgoorlie, alternatively known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a city in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of Perth, the state capital...
and
Port AugustaPort Augusta is the fifth most populous city in South Australia after Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Whyalla and Murray Bridge. It is a seaport located on the east coast of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia and is located at the head of the Spencer Gulf, 322 km north of the state capital.It is...
which was
UTC+9UTC+9 is a time zone used for the following locations:-As standard time : **Moluccas**Papua and West Irian Jaya - Japan Standard Time - Korea Standard Time...
hours during
November 2005-Portal:Current events:...
when daylight-saving time was observed in the east. This was because of the 2 1/2 hour difference in times between South Australia and Western Australia.
Some island resorts in north Queensland unofficially adopt daylight-saving time for their activities and events.
External territories
Australia's many external territories follow their own time zones.
| Territory | Standard | DST |
|---|
| Heard and McDonald Islands |
UTC+5UTC+5 is the timezone for:-As standard time : - Yekaterinburg Time**Bashkortostan, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Kurgan Oblast, Orenburg Oblast, Perm Krai, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Tyumen Oblast...
|
no DST |
Cocos (Keeling) IslandsThe Territory of Cocos Islands, also called Cocos Islands and Keeling Islands, is a territory of Australia. There are two atolls and twenty-seven coral islands in the group...
|
UTC+6:30 UTC+6:30 is used in:-External links:*...
|
no DST |
Christmas IslandThe Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....
CXT |
UTC+7UTC+7 is a time zone used in:-As standard time :** **Central Kalimantan, Java, Sumatra, West Kalimantan **Khovd, Uvs, and Bayan-Ölgii**Also called Indochina Time -See also:*Time in Indonesia*Time in Russia...
|
no DST |
Lord Howe IslandLord Howe Island is a small island in the Tasman Sea east of the Australian mainland. The Lord Howe Island Group, including nearby Ball's Pyramid, is administered by the Lord Howe Island Board,, and is part of the Mid-North Coast Statistical Division of New South Wales, Australia...
|
UTC+10:30UTC+10:30 is used in the following locations:-As daylight saving time : ** - Broken Hill, New South Wales only** -External links:*...
|
half an hour |
Norfolk IslandNorfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. It and two neighbouring islands form one of Australia's external territories....
NFT |
UTC+11:30UTC+11:30 is used in the following locations:-Historical:On November 2 1868, New Zealand officially adopted a standard time to be observed nationally, and was perhaps the first country to do so. It was based on the longitude 172° 30' East of Greenwich, that is 11 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich...
|
no DST |
Australian Antarctic TerritoryThe Australian Antarctic Territory is the part of Antarctica claimed by Australia and is the largest territory of Antarctica claimed by any nation. It consists of all the islands and territory south of 60° S and between 45° E and 160° E, except for Adélie Land , which divides the territory into...
- MawsonMawson Station is a permanent base in Antarctica managed by the Australian Antarctic Division . It is named after the explorer, Douglas Mawson. Mawson station is Australia's oldest Antarctic station and the oldest continuously inhabited Antarctic station of any nation below the Antarctic...
|
UTC+6UTC+6 is a band of timezones separated from the Greenwich Mean Time by 6 hours.-As standard time : - most of country ** Xinjiang...
|
? |
Australian Antarctic TerritoryThe Australian Antarctic Territory is the part of Antarctica claimed by Australia and is the largest territory of Antarctica claimed by any nation. It consists of all the islands and territory south of 60° S and between 45° E and 160° E, except for Adélie Land , which divides the territory into...
- DavisDavis Station is a permanent base in Antarctica managed by the Australian Antarctic Division . It is the busiest Australian scientific research station...
|
UTC+7 |
? |
Australian Antarctic TerritoryThe Australian Antarctic Territory is the part of Antarctica claimed by Australia and is the largest territory of Antarctica claimed by any nation. It consists of all the islands and territory south of 60° S and between 45° E and 160° E, except for Adélie Land , which divides the territory into...
- CaseyCasey Station is a permanent base in Antarctica managed by the Australian Antarctic Division located on Vincennes Bay.- History :Casey is close to the now-abandoned Wilkes Station established by the United States of America to support science and exploration of Antarctica during the International...
|
UTC+8 UTC+8 is a band of timezones separated from the Greenwich Mean Time by 8 hours.With an estimated population of 1,53 billion living within the time zone, roughly 22,5% of the world population, it's the most populated time zone in world, as well as a possible candidate for ASEAN Common Time.-As...
|
? |
Daylight-saving time
The choice to use
daylight saving timeDaylight saving time is the convention of advancing clocks so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn...
(DST) or not is a matter for the individual states and territories. However during
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
and
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
all states and territories observed the practice of daylight saving. In 1968
TasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is located south of the eastern side of the continent, from which it is separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania – the 26th largest island in the world – and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 500,000 ,...
became the first state since the war to practise daylight saving.
New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia observe DST every year. This has resulted in three time zones becoming five during the daylight-saving period. South Australia time becomes
UTC+10:30UTC+10:30 is used in the following locations:-As daylight saving time : ** - Broken Hill, New South Wales only** -External links:*...
, called Central Summer Time (CST) or Central Daylight Time (CDT), possibly with "Australia" prefixed (ACST or ACDT). The time in the southeastern states become UTC+11, using "Eastern" in the time zone name rather than "Central", with the abbreviations being EST, EDT, AEST, or AEDT.
Officially, the change to and from DST takes place at 2:00 am local standard time (which is 3:00 am DST) on the appropriate Sunday.
Of the states that observe DST, most began on the last Sunday in October, and ended on the last Sunday in March, until 2008. Tasmania, owing to its further southern
latitudeLatitude, usually denoted by the Greek letter phi gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the equator. Lines of Latitude are the imaginary horizontal lines shown running east-to-west on maps that run either north or south of the equator...
) began DST earlier, on the first Sunday in October, and ended on the first Sunday of April.
On 12 April 2007, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory agreed to common starting and finishing dates for DST. From the 2008/09 period, the start of DST in these states and in South Australia commences on the first Sunday in October and ends on the first Sunday in April.
Queensland (AEST), Northern Territory (ACST) and Western Australia (AWST) do not observe DST.
| State/Territory | Start of DST | End of DST |
|---|
Western AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Australia's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.2 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state.The state's capital...
|
N/A |
N/A |
South AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories....
|
first Sunday in October |
first Sunday in April |
Northern TerritoryThe Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
|
N/A |
N/A |
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia that occupies the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
|
N/A |
N/A |
New South WalesNew South Wales is Australia's most populous state, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria, south of Queensland and east of South Australia...
|
first Sunday in October |
first Sunday in April |
Australian Capital TerritoryThe Australian Capital Territory is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and its smallest self-governing internal territory. It is an inland enclave in New South Wales, and regularly referred to as Australia's 'Bush Capital'....
|
first Sunday in October |
first Sunday in April |
VictoriaVictoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, and Tasmania to the south, across the Bass Strait. Victoria is the most densely populated state, with over 70% of...
|
first Sunday in October |
first Sunday in April |
| Tasmania Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is located south of the eastern side of the continent, from which it is separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania – the 26th largest island in the world – and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 500,000 ,...
|
first Sunday in October |
first Sunday in April |
Debate over daylight-saving time - Trials and Referenda
Public opinion on daylight-saving time in
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia that occupies the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
is divided. People and businesses in the Queensland-New South Wales border area complain of the inconvenience caused by the difference in time at the border. Queensland and the Northern Territory have not adopted daylight saving because the seasonal differences in daylight become less pronounced as one moves closer to the equator. Former Queensland
Premier Peter BeattiePeter Douglas Beattie , Australian politician, was the 36th Premier of the Australian state of Queensland for nine years and leader of the Australian Labor Party in that state for eleven and a half years...
claimed that daylight-saving time in Queensland would increase the rate of
skin cancerSkin cancer is a malignant growth on the skin which can have many causes. The most common skin cancers are basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, and melanoma. Skin cancer generally develops in the epidermis , so a tumor is usually clearly visible. This makes most skin cancers detectable in the...
in the state, a claim for which there is no evidence according to the Queensland Cancer Fund.
Western AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Australia's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.2 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state.The state's capital...
has had a particularly involved debate over daylight-saving time, with the issue being put to a plebiscite four times: in 1975, 1984, 1992, and 2009. All were defeated. Voters returned a "no" vote of 54.57% in 2009, the highest in all four plebiscites. Each referendum followed a trial period during which the state observed daylight savings time. The first three followed a one-year trial, while the 2006
Western Australian Daylight Saving Bill (No. 2) 2006 instituted a daylight-saving trial beginning on 3 December 2006 and lasting for three years.
Special events
In 2000, all eastern jurisdictions that normally observe daylight-saving time — New South Wales, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania — started daylight-saving time early, due to the
2000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 16 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in
SydneySydney is the largest city in Australia, and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney has a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million and an area of approximately 12,000 square kilometres. Its inhabitants are called Sydneysiders, and Sydney is often called "the Harbour City"...
. These jurisdictions changed on 27 August 2000.
South AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories....
did not change until the regular time, which that year was on 29 October.
In 2006, all states that followed daylight-saving time (the above listed states plus South Australia) delayed the return to their respective Standard Times by a week, due to the
2006 Commonwealth GamesThe 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
in
MelbourneMelbourne is the capital city and most populous city of the State of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne city centre is the anchor of the larger geographical area and statistical division known as the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area – of which Melbourne is...
. Daylight-saving time ended on 2 April 2006.
Accuracy and standards
Although Australia has maintained a version of the
Coordinated Universal TimeCoordinated Universal Time , ) is a time standard based on International Atomic Time with leap seconds added at irregular intervals to compensate for the Earth's slowing rotation...
(UTC) atomic time scale since the 1990s,
Greenwich Mean TimeGreenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is commonly used in practice to refer to Coordinated Universal Time when this is viewed as a time zone, especially by bodies connected with the United Kingdom, such as the BBC...
(GMT) remained the formal basis for the standard times of all states until 2005. In November 2004, the state and territory attorneys-general endorsed a proposal from the Australian National Measurement Institute to adopt UTC as the standard of all Australian standard times, thereby eliminating the effects of slight variations in the Earth's rotation rate that are inherent to mean solar time. All states have adopted the UTC standard, commencing from 1 September 2005.
Rules relating to time
In most cases the time when something needs to be done is clear: standard times or the daylight-saving times set under state laws will operate.
The rule is that if something needs to be done by a particular time, it is for the person who is required to perform that act to have it completed by that time. For example, if a person making an offer (the "offeror") to, say, sell something and specifies a time by which this offer must be accepted, the person accepting the offer must convey that acceptance to the offeror where the offeror is located and at the time specified by the offeror, where the offeror is located. This has significance when the local time of the two parties is different.
As a general rule, the person required to perform an act (e.g. pay some money) must make sure that the act is performed by that time. If he cannot perform that act by that time because, say, the office where the money needs to be paid is closed because of a weekend or public holiday, then that person must perform that act before the office closes. This applies especially to government offices, which are open only during specified times.
It is also common to specify in
contractIn law, a contract is a binding legal agreement that is enforceable in a court of law. That is to say, a contract is an exchange of promises for the breach of which the law will provide a remedy....
s that if the time when an act needs to be performed falls on a weekend or a public holiday, then that act needs to be performed on the next
business dayA business day is considered every official working day of the week. Typically, these are the days between and including Monday to Friday and do not include public holidays and week-ends....
, or sometimes on a business day before the weekend or public holiday.
National times
However, there are situations where a nation-wide time operates. In the case of business activities a national time, in effect, operates. For example, a
prospectusProspectus may refer to:* Prospectus * Prospectus...
for the issue of shares in a company would usually set out the closing time for offers at some location (eg Sydney) as the time when offers must be received, irrespective of the source of the offer. Similarly, tenders usually set out the time at a particular location by which they must be received to be considered. Another example is the
Australian Stock ExchangeThe Australian Securities Exchange is the primary stock exchange in Australia. The ASX began as separate state-based exchanges established as early as 1861...
which, in effect, operates on AEST.
On the other hand, Commonwealth legislation yields to state-regulated standard times in many diverse situations. It yields, for example, in setting normal working times of Commonwealth employees, recognition of public holidays, etc. Significantly, it also relies on local time for federal elections, so that polling times in
Western AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Australia's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.2 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state.The state's capital...
close, in effect, two hours after those in the eastern states. Similarly, documents to be filed in a
Federal CourtThe term "federal court", when used by itself, can refer to:* Any court of the national government in a country that has a federal system such as that of the United States or Mexico or to a particular federal court, such as the United States district courts.* In some countries, a particular court,...
may be filed based on local time; with the effect that if there was a failure to lodge a document on time in an eastern state, the document may still be lodged (within two hours) in Western Australia.
External links
- Information on time zones from official Government
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
web site