Daylight Saving in Victoria
When the clocks change in Victoria, which way they go, and how Melbourne time compares with the rest of the country.
Daylight saving starts on Sunday 4 October 2026
Clocks go forward one hour — 2:00am AEST becomes 3:00am AEDT.
Victoria 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 Victoria at a glance
- Winter (UTC+10)
- AEST
- Summer (UTC+11)
- AEDT
- Changeover, AEST
- 2:00am
Victoria runs on AEST (UTC+10) for the cooler half of the year and AEDT (UTC+11) for the warmer half. The switch happens overnight on a Sunday: 2:00am AEST becomes 3:00am AEDT in October, and 3:00am AEDT becomes 2:00am AEST in April.
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 VIC long weekends
- Sunday 4 October 2026 — daylight saving startsThe clocks go forward on an ordinary weekend in Victoria — no public holiday attached.
- Sunday 4 April 2027 — daylight saving endsThe clocks go back on an ordinary weekend in Victoria — no public holiday attached.
One public holiday date in Victoria for 2027 is still to be announced.
Which public holidays land beside a changeover shifts from year to year. See every VIC long weekend.
Melbourne time compared with the rest of Australia
| State | October to April | April to October |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Same time (AEDT) | Same time (AEST) |
| QLD | 1 hour behind (AEST) | Same time (AEST) |
| SA | 30 minutes behind (ACDT) | 30 minutes behind (ACST) |
| WA | 3 hours behind (AWST) | 2 hours behind (AWST) |
| TAS | Same time (AEDT) | Same time (AEST) |
| NT | 1 hour 30 minutes behind (ACST) | 30 minutes behind (ACST) |
| ACT | Same time (AEDT) | Same time (AEST) |
Differences are measured from Melbourne. 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 Victoria?
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 AEST — 2:00am AEST becomes 3:00am AEDT in October, and 3:00am AEDT becomes 2:00am AEST in April.
When do the clocks change in Victoria?
In Victoria, 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 Victoria?
Yes. At the April changeover the clocks go back from 3:00am AEDT to 2:00am AEST, 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 Victoria on?
Victoria is on AEST (UTC+10) from April to October, and AEDT (UTC+11) from October to April while daylight saving is on. Melbourne 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.
Daylight saving in another state
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