School Holidays 2027: Dates by State & When School Goes Back
School holiday dates for every Australian state in 2027, with January return dates, each term break and the summer cut-off, so you can book leave early.
The 2027 school holidays start as early as Friday 26 March in Victoria and Queensland and as late as Saturday 10 April in NSW, South Australia, WA, Tasmania and the ACT. Every state runs three breaks through the year plus the summer holidays. Here are the dates for all eight, taken from the published government school terms.
When school goes back in January 2027
There's no national start date. Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory go back on Wednesday 27 January, Victoria the next day, and the other four states spread across the first week of February. That week matters if you have children in two states or you're moving over the summer.
| State | Back at school | Last day of 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Wed 3 Feb | Mon 20 Dec |
| VIC | Thu 28 Jan | Fri 17 Dec |
| QLD | Wed 27 Jan | Fri 10 Dec |
| SA | Wed 27 Jan | Fri 10 Dec |
| WA | Mon 1 Feb | Thu 16 Dec |
| TAS | Thu 4 Feb | Thu 16 Dec |
| NT | Wed 27 Jan | Thu 9 Dec |
| ACT | Tue 2 Feb | Fri 17 Dec |
Two exceptions sit inside those dates. NSW's Western Division starts a week later, on Wednesday 10 February, and ACT students new to a school start on Monday 1 February, a day before everyone else.
The 2027 school holiday dates, state by state
Each break below runs from the day after the term ends to the day before the next term starts, so it includes the weekends at both ends. Victoria and Queensland break up in late March and the Northern Territory in early April, which is why their winter and spring dates sit ahead of the southern states too.
| State | After Term 1 | After Term 2 | After Term 3 | Summer from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Sat 10 – Wed 28 Apr | Sat 3 – Mon 19 Jul | Sat 25 Sep – Mon 11 Oct | Tue 21 Dec |
| VIC | Fri 26 Mar – Sun 11 Apr | Sat 26 Jun – Sun 11 Jul | Sat 18 Sep – Sun 3 Oct | Sat 18 Dec |
| QLD | Fri 26 Mar – Sun 11 Apr | Sat 26 Jun – Sun 11 Jul | Sat 18 Sep – Mon 4 Oct | Sat 11 Dec |
| SA | Sat 10 – Sun 25 Apr | Sat 3 – Sun 18 Jul | Sat 25 Sep – Sun 10 Oct | Sat 11 Dec |
| WA | Sat 10 – Sun 25 Apr | Sat 3 – Sun 18 Jul | Sat 25 Sep – Sun 10 Oct | Fri 17 Dec |
| TAS | Sat 10 – Sun 25 Apr | Sat 3 – Sun 18 Jul | Sat 25 Sep – Sun 10 Oct | Fri 17 Dec |
| NT | Sat 3 – Mon 12 Apr | Sat 19 Jun – Mon 12 Jul | Sat 18 Sep – Mon 4 Oct | Fri 10 Dec |
| ACT | Sat 10 – Tue 27 Apr | Sat 3 – Mon 19 Jul | Sat 25 Sep – Mon 11 Oct | Sat 18 Dec |
These are the government school dates. Independent and Catholic schools set their own calendars and often finish a few days earlier in December, so check your school's newsletter before booking flights. The same dates appear term by term on NSW, Victorian and every other state's page at school term dates.
Easter sits inside the first break
Easter is early in 2027. Good Friday is 26 March and Easter Monday is 29 March, which is the same Friday Victorian and Queensland schools break up. Those two states get the public holidays at the front of their break.
NSW, South Australia, WA and Tasmania don't start their break until Saturday 10 April, a fortnight after Easter. If you're travelling between those groups, the school-holiday crowds run from late March right through to the end of April. The Easter long weekend guide has the public holiday dates for each state.
Getting your leave to cover the breaks
Covering all three term breaks on your own costs between 29 and 33 days of leave, depending on your state. Most full-time workers accrue 20. The table below shows what each break actually costs a Monday to Friday worker, after the public holidays inside it are taken out.
| State | After Term 1 | After Term 2 | After Term 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 12 | 11 | 10 |
| VIC | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| QLD | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| SA | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| WA | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| TAS | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| NT | 6 | 16 | 11 |
| ACT | 11 | 11 | 10 |
Regional show days are left out, because each applies only to its own district. A Launceston or Alice Springs family gets a day back that the rest of the state doesn't.
Which breaks are already cheaper
Victoria and Queensland get the best deal of the year in the autumn break. Good Friday on 26 March and Easter Monday on 29 March both fall inside it, so nine leave days cover a 17-day break.
Four jurisdictions get a free Monday on 4 October in the spring break: Labour Day in NSW, South Australia and the ACT, and the King's Birthday in Queensland. Western Australia gets the King's Birthday on Monday 27 September instead.
The Northern Territory is the outlier in both directions. Its autumn break is only six working days, the cheapest in the country, but its mid-year break runs more than three weeks and costs 16.
Splitting the breaks between two carers
Two working parents alternating weeks roughly halves the bill. One takes the first week of each break and the other the second, which covers the standard two-week breaks for about 15 days each. The longer NSW autumn and NT mid-year breaks need extra days on top.
Check both balances before you split the year. Annual leave accrues continuously and carries over, so whoever has more banked should take the earlier breaks while the other builds theirs up.
Partial weeks stretch it further. If each carer books Monday to Wednesday in alternate weeks, a fortnight costs three days each and leaves only the two Thursdays and Fridays to cover.
- Book around Easter first if you're in Victoria or Queensland. Those two public holidays make the autumn break the cheapest fortnight of the year.
- Test each window in the Leave Planner, which counts the leave days a date range actually costs in your state.
- Agree the split with the other carer before either of you lodges a request, so you aren't both approved for the same week.
- Book vacation care as soon as it opens. Popular programs fill within days.
For days outside the regular breaks, check 2027 pupil-free dates and school rules by state. Confirm school-selected dates separately from these holiday ranges.
Frequently asked questions
What are the NSW school holidays in 2027?
Saturday 10 to Wednesday 28 April, Saturday 3 to Monday 19 July, and Saturday 25 September to Monday 11 October. Summer starts on Tuesday 21 December, the latest finish in the country.
What are the Victorian school holidays in 2027?
Friday 26 March to Sunday 11 April, Saturday 26 June to Sunday 11 July, and Saturday 18 September to Sunday 3 October. Victorian students finish for the year on Friday 17 December.
When do schools go back in 2027?
Between Wednesday 27 January and Thursday 4 February, depending on the state. Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory are first back; Tasmania is last.
What date are the Easter holidays in 2027?
Good Friday is 26 March 2027 and Easter Monday is 29 March. Only Victorian and Queensland schools are already on holidays by then, because their first break opens on Good Friday itself.
Which state finishes first for the summer holidays in 2027?
The Northern Territory, on Thursday 9 December. Queensland and South Australia follow the next day, and NSW students are still at school for another week and a half.
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