Australia Daylight Saving Time: When do the clocks go back?

Daylight Saving Time begins every year in parts of Australia on the first Sunday of October

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Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of moving the clocks forward by one hour during the summer months.

While in the UK, this typically takes place in March - last year, DST began on Sunday 29 March - on the other side of the hemisphere, it takes place in October.

For Britons, this time marks the start of winter, but for those in Australia, it’s the beginning warmer climes.

Here’s everything you need to know about Daylight Saving Time in Australia.

When does Daylight Saving Time begin in Australia?

Daylight Saving Time begins this year at 2am on Sunday 4 October, when clocks will be put forward one hour.

This means that states impacted will experience sunrise and sunset one hour later than the day before, resulting in more light in the evenings.

How long will Daylight Saving Time last until?

Daylight Saving Time will last until 5 April at 3am in 2021, when the clocks will go back one hour to 2am.

This means sunrise and sunset will take place one hour earlier than the day before, resulting in more light in the mornings.

When did Daylight Saving begin?

Canada was among the first countries to adopt Daylight Saving Time in 1908 as a way of making better use of the daylight. 

Germany and Austria followed suit in 1916 and the concept is currently practiced by more than 70 countries, including the UK.

Which parts of Australia observe Daylight Saving Time?

In Australia, Daylight Saving Time is observed in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and Norfolk Island.

It is not observed in Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Christmas Island or the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

Australia is the world's sixth largest country and is divided into three separate time zones, hence why not all of the states observe DST.

When do the clocks go back in the UK?

In the UK, the clocks will go back by one hour at 2am on 25 October.

This means there will be more daylight in the mornings and less in the evenings and will bring the UK from Daylight Saving Time onto Greenwich Mean Time.

You can read more about Daylight Saving Time in the UK here.