Quick answer
Australia does not have one single public-holiday calendar that applies identically across the whole country.
Some holidays are observed nationwide, while others differ by state or territory. The main jurisdictions are New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.
For 2026, nationwide or widely observed dates include Thursday 1 January, Monday 26 January, Friday 3 April, Monday 6 April, Saturday 25 April, Friday 25 December and Saturday 26 December.
Other dates depend on where you work. For example, Monday 27 April 2026 is an additional Anzac Day public holiday in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Western Australia, while Monday 3 August 2026 is a Bank Holiday in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales rather than a general nationwide public holiday.
What this means
Public-holiday rules in Australia are partly determined by each state and territory, so not every holiday applies to every worker.
Use these abbreviations carefully:
- ACT — Australian Capital Territory
- NSW — New South Wales
- VIC — Victoria
- QLD — Queensland
- WA — Western Australia
- SA — South Australia
- TAS — Tasmania
- NT — Northern Territory
The main 2026 dates include:
- Thursday 1 January: New Year’s Day — nationwide
- Monday 26 January: Australia Day — nationwide
- Friday 3 April: Good Friday — widely observed across Australia
- Monday 6 April: Easter Monday — widely observed across Australia
- Saturday 25 April: Anzac Day — nationwide
- Monday 27 April: additional Anzac Day public holiday in the ACT, NSW and WA
- Monday 3 August: Bank Holiday in the ACT and NSW; not a general nationwide public holiday
- Friday 25 December: Christmas Day — nationwide
- Saturday 26 December: Boxing Day or the equivalent jurisdictional holiday
- Monday 28 December: additional or observed holiday in several jurisdictions
Other holidays vary significantly by location. Labour Day, King’s Birthday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, show days, regional holidays and part-day holidays can fall on different dates or apply only in certain states or territories.
For leave planning, always check the public-holiday calendar for the state or territory where you work rather than assuming one Australian list applies everywhere.
Common scenarios
You work across state borders. Use the public-holiday calendar that applies to your work location, rather than the location of your employer’s head office.
You are planning leave around a long weekend. Confirm whether the public holiday applies to you before treating it as a non-working day in your leave calculation.
You need a bank service on 3 August. Check the specific bank or branch before travelling, particularly in the ACT or NSW.
How to plan this in Offdays
Start with the state or territory where you work.
If you are in NSW, use the NSW public-holiday calendar. If you are in Victoria, use the Victorian calendar, and so on. Do not automatically apply a holiday from one jurisdiction to employees in another.
For teams spread across Australia, assign holidays by employee location rather than using one national calendar for everyone.
Then compare those public holidays with each employee’s normal work pattern before adding annual leave around them.
Use the Australia guides for related planning information and the Offdays blog for more leave-planning ideas.
Final thoughts
The useful answer is not simply a national list: bank and public holiday status varies across Australia. The dates above are a planning starting point for 2026, including the important distinction that the 3 August ACT and NSW Bank Holiday is not a general public holiday. Verify local dates, eligibility and workplace arrangements before relying on the calendar.
Is the August Bank Holiday a public holiday?
Not generally.
Monday 3 August 2026 is listed as a Bank Holiday in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales.
In New South Wales, the Bank Holiday is not a general public holiday for all workers. It mainly affects banks and certain financial institutions.
This means someone working in retail, healthcare, hospitality, technology or another non-banking industry should not assume they have the day off simply because the date is called a Bank Holiday.