Daylight Saving in Western Australia
Western Australia keeps AWST all year. Here is what changes for Perth when the rest of the country moves its clocks.
Western Australia does not observe daylight saving
Clocks stay on standard time all year in Western Australia. See the dates for states that change their clocks below.
Clocks in Western Australia at a glance
- All year (UTC+8)
- AWST
- Clock changes a year
- 0
- East changes, AWST
- 12:00am
Western Australia stays on AWST (UTC+8) every day of the year. When the observing states start or end daylight saving, the moment falls at 12:00am AWST in Perth — your clock does not move, but the difference between Perth 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 WA long weekends
- Sunday 4 October 2026 — daylight saving startsThe eastern states change their clocks on an ordinary weekend in Western Australia — no public holiday attached.
- Sunday 4 April 2027 — daylight saving endsThe eastern states change their clocks on an ordinary weekend in Western Australia — no public holiday attached.
Which public holidays land beside a changeover shifts from year to year. See every WA long weekend.
Perth time compared with the rest of Australia
| State | October to April | April to October |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | 3 hours ahead (AEDT) | 2 hours ahead (AEST) |
| VIC | 3 hours ahead (AEDT) | 2 hours ahead (AEST) |
| QLD | 2 hours ahead (AEST) | 2 hours ahead (AEST) |
| SA | 2 hours 30 minutes ahead (ACDT) | 1 hour 30 minutes ahead (ACST) |
| TAS | 3 hours ahead (AEDT) | 2 hours ahead (AEST) |
| NT | 1 hour 30 minutes ahead (ACST) | 1 hour 30 minutes ahead (ACST) |
| ACT | 3 hours ahead (AEDT) | 2 hours ahead (AEST) |
Differences are measured from Perth. Both columns are fixed: standard-time offsets never move, and daylight saving adds exactly one hour in the states that observe it.
Why Western Australia does not change its clocks
Western Australia voted daylight saving down in 2009
A referendum in May 2009 asked Western Australians whether standard time should be advanced an hour from the last Sunday in October 2009 to the last Sunday in March 2010, and in the same way every year after that. They voted no, 624,304 to 519,899, and the state has stayed on Australian Western Standard Time since.
Frequently asked questions
Does Western Australia have daylight saving?
No. Western Australia stays on AWST (UTC+8) all year, so the clocks in Perth 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 Perth?
No clock in Western Australia moves. When the observing states change theirs, that happens at 12:00am AWST local time — the time on your own clock simply stays as it is, while the gap between Perth 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. Western Australia is unaffected on both dates, but time differences across the country shift by an hour.
Do I need to change any clocks in Western Australia?
No. Nothing here needs adjusting at either changeover — not phones, not wall clocks, not car dashboards. What moves is the gap between Perth 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
Related tools
Picked for Western Australia.
Printable calendar
Print a calendar with public holidays and school terms, or save it as a PDF.
Is today a public holiday?
Check today's public holiday status in every state and territory.
Calendar subscriptions
Add public holidays to Apple Calendar, Google Calendar or Outlook.
Working days calculator
Count business days between dates, excluding your state's public holidays.
