Daylight Saving in the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory keeps ACST all year. Here is what changes for Darwin when the rest of the country moves its clocks.
The Northern Territory does not observe daylight saving
Clocks stay on standard time all year in the Northern Territory. See the dates for states that change their clocks below.
Clocks in the Northern Territory at a glance
- All year (UTC+9:30)
- ACST
- Clock changes a year
- 0
- East changes, ACST
- 1:30am
The Northern Territory stays on ACST (UTC+9:30) every day of the year. When the observing states start or end daylight saving, the moment falls at 1:30am ACST in Darwin — your clock does not move, but the difference between Darwin and the eastern cities does.
Daylight saving dates in the states that observe it
| Year | Daylight saving ends | Daylight saving starts |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday 5 April 2026 | Sunday 4 October 2026 |
| 2027 | Sunday 4 April 2027 | Sunday 3 October 2027 |
| 2028 | Sunday 2 April 2028 | Sunday 1 October 2028 |
Each changeover happens at the same local time in every state that observes daylight saving, so the dates are identical across New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.
The eastern clock change and NT long weekends
- Sunday 4 October 2026 — daylight saving startsThe eastern states change their clocks on an ordinary weekend in the Northern Territory — no public holiday attached.
- Sunday 4 April 2027 — daylight saving endsThe eastern states change their clocks on an ordinary weekend in the Northern Territory — no public holiday attached.
Which public holidays land beside a changeover shifts from year to year. See every NT long weekend.
Darwin time compared with the rest of Australia
| State | October to April | April to October |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | 1 hour 30 minutes ahead (AEDT) | 30 minutes ahead (AEST) |
| VIC | 1 hour 30 minutes ahead (AEDT) | 30 minutes ahead (AEST) |
| QLD | 30 minutes ahead (AEST) | 30 minutes ahead (AEST) |
| SA | 1 hour ahead (ACDT) | Same time (ACST) |
| WA | 1 hour 30 minutes behind (AWST) | 1 hour 30 minutes behind (AWST) |
| TAS | 1 hour 30 minutes ahead (AEDT) | 30 minutes ahead (AEST) |
| ACT | 1 hour 30 minutes ahead (AEDT) | 30 minutes ahead (AEST) |
Differences are measured from Darwin. Both columns are fixed: standard-time offsets never move, and daylight saving adds exactly one hour in the states that observe it.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Northern Territory have daylight saving?
No. The Northern Territory stays on ACST (UTC+9:30) all year, so the clocks in Darwin never go forward or back. Daylight saving is observed in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.
Do the clocks change in Darwin?
No clock in the Northern Territory moves. When the observing states change theirs, that happens at 1:30am ACST local time — the time on your own clock simply stays as it is, while the gap between Darwin and the eastern cities changes by an hour.
When do the other states change their clocks?
In the observing states, daylight saving starts on Sunday 4 October 2026 and ends on Sunday 4 April 2027. The Northern Territory is unaffected on both dates, but time differences across the country shift by an hour.
Do I need to change any clocks in the Northern Territory?
No. Nothing here needs adjusting at either changeover — not phones, not wall clocks, not car dashboards. What moves is the gap between Darwin and the cities that do change, so it is worth checking the difference above before a call, a flight or a meeting interstate.
Daylight saving in another state
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