Daylight Saving in South Australia
When the clocks change in South Australia, which way they go, and how Adelaide time compares with the rest of the country.
Daylight saving starts on Sunday 4 October 2026
Clocks go forward one hour — 2:00am ACST becomes 3:00am ACDT.
South Australia local time
New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory change their clocks. Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory do not, so their clocks stay on standard time all year.
Clocks in South Australia at a glance
- Winter (UTC+9:30)
- ACST
- Summer (UTC+10:30)
- ACDT
- Changeover, ACST
- 2:00am
South Australia runs on ACST (UTC+9:30) for the cooler half of the year and ACDT (UTC+10:30) for the warmer half. The switch happens overnight on a Sunday: 2:00am ACST becomes 3:00am ACDT in October, and 3:00am ACDT becomes 2:00am ACST in April.
Because every jurisdiction changes at 2:00am on its own standard clock, South Australia moves 30 minutes after New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.
Daylight saving dates by year
| 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 clock change and SA long weekends
- Sunday 4 October 2026 — daylight saving startsThe clocks go forward inside the Labour Day long weekend (Sat, 3 Oct - Mon, 5 Oct).
- Sunday 4 April 2027 — daylight saving endsThe clocks go back on an ordinary weekend in South Australia — no public holiday attached.
Which public holidays land beside a changeover shifts from year to year. See every SA long weekend.
Adelaide time compared with the rest of Australia
| State | October to April | April to October |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | 30 minutes ahead (AEDT) | 30 minutes ahead (AEST) |
| VIC | 30 minutes ahead (AEDT) | 30 minutes ahead (AEST) |
| QLD | 30 minutes behind (AEST) | 30 minutes ahead (AEST) |
| WA | 2 hours 30 minutes behind (AWST) | 1 hour 30 minutes behind (AWST) |
| TAS | 30 minutes ahead (AEDT) | 30 minutes ahead (AEST) |
| NT | 1 hour behind (ACST) | Same time (ACST) |
| ACT | 30 minutes ahead (AEDT) | 30 minutes ahead (AEST) |
Differences are measured from Adelaide. 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
Do the clocks go forward or back in South Australia?
Both, once each a year. They go forward one hour when daylight saving starts on the first Sunday in October, and back one hour when it ends on the first Sunday in April. Either way the change happens at 2:00am ACST — 2:00am ACST becomes 3:00am ACDT in October, and 3:00am ACDT becomes 2:00am ACST in April.
When do the clocks change in South Australia?
In South Australia, daylight saving starts on Sunday 4 October 2026 and ends on Sunday 4 April 2027. Both changes fall on a Sunday, and the dates are the same in every state that observes daylight saving.
Do you get an extra hour of sleep when daylight saving ends in South Australia?
Yes. At the April changeover the clocks go back from 3:00am ACDT to 2:00am ACST, so that Sunday runs for 25 hours and you get the hour back. The October changeover is the other way around: 2:00am jumps straight to 3:00am and that Sunday is 23 hours long.
What time zone is South Australia on?
South Australia is on ACST (UTC+9:30) from April to October, and ACDT (UTC+10:30) from October to April while daylight saving is on. Adelaide keeps the same clock as the rest of the state.
Do phones and computers change the time automatically?
Yes. The NSW Government puts it plainly: most modern devices, such as smartphones, adjust for daylight saving on their own, while analogue clocks have to be changed by hand. So a phone, computer or smart speaker set to update its time zone automatically needs nothing from you, and wall clocks, ovens, microwaves and many car dashboards do.
Does South Australia change its clocks at the same moment as Sydney?
Not quite. Every jurisdiction changes at 2:00am on its own standard clock, and South Australia sits 30 minutes behind eastern standard time, so its clocks move 30 minutes after New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. The calendar date is the same.
Daylight saving in another state
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