Quick answer
The King’s Birthday public holiday in most of Western Australia falls on Monday, 28 September 2026.
However, the date is different in two regional areas:
- City of Karratha: Monday, 3 August 2026
- Town of Port Hedland: Monday, 3 August 2026
Karratha and Port Hedland observe the August date instead of the statewide King’s Birthday holiday on 28 September.
When is the King’s Birthday public holiday in WA?
For most of Western Australia, the King’s Birthday public holiday in 2026 is:
Monday, 28 September 2026
Western Australia does not observe the King’s Birthday public holiday on the same date as many other Australian states and territories. Several eastern jurisdictions observe it in June, while WA’s statewide date falls in September.
This is why it is important to use the Western Australian holiday calendar rather than a general Australian public-holiday list.
Does the King’s Birthday holiday apply across all of WA on 28 September?
No.
Most of Western Australia observes the King’s Birthday public holiday on Monday, 28 September 2026, but some regional areas use an alternative date.
For 2026:
- Karratha observes Monday, 3 August
- Port Hedland observes Monday, 3 August
In those local government districts, 28 September is not the King’s Birthday public holiday. The August holiday replaces the September holiday rather than giving employees both dates as public holidays.
Why is the King’s Birthday date different in regional WA?
Western Australian local governments can request an alternative King’s Birthday public holiday date for their district. The alternative date is often chosen to coincide with a significant local event or date.
For 2026, the alternative date of Monday, 3 August was declared for the City of Karratha and Town of Port Hedland. This means the public-holiday calendar can differ even within Western Australia.
Why is WA’s King’s Birthday in September?
Western Australia sets its own King’s Birthday public holiday date. In 2026, the Governor declared Monday, 28 September as the King’s Birthday public holiday for the state, subject to approved regional alternative dates.
The holiday was previously known as the Queen’s Birthday and has been called the King’s Birthday since 2022. Do not assume that a King’s Birthday date shown for another Australian state also applies in WA.
Do you automatically get the day off?
Not necessarily.
A public holiday does not mean every workplace must close. If the King’s Birthday public holiday applies to your work location, public-holiday employment rules may affect whether you work and how you are paid.
Western Australia has both a state industrial relations system and the national Fair Work system for private-sector employees. Which rules apply can depend on your employer and employment arrangements.
Check your award, enterprise agreement, employment contract or workplace policy if you are rostered to work on the public holiday.
What if you work on the King’s Birthday public holiday?
Public-holiday pay and other entitlements depend on the employment system and industrial instrument that covers you.
An award or agreement may provide:
- public-holiday penalty rates;
- minimum engagement periods;
- another day off;
- additional leave; or
- other public-holiday conditions.
There is no single public-holiday pay rate that applies to every worker in Western Australia.
Common scenarios
You work in Perth. The King’s Birthday public holiday is Monday, 28 September 2026.
You work in most other parts of WA. The 28 September date also applies unless your local area has an approved alternative King’s Birthday holiday.
You work in Karratha. Your King’s Birthday public holiday is Monday, 3 August 2026, not 28 September.
You work in Port Hedland. Your King’s Birthday public holiday is also Monday, 3 August 2026, instead of 28 September.
You live in one area but work in another. Check which public-holiday calendar applies to your employment rather than assuming the holiday follows your home address.
Your workplace stays open. Check the award, agreement or employment rules that apply to you for public-holiday work and pay.
How to use the King’s Birthday for annual leave
For most Western Australian workers who normally have Saturday and Sunday off, Monday, 28 September 2026 creates a three-day weekend:
- Saturday 26 September — weekend
- Sunday 27 September — weekend
- Monday 28 September — King’s Birthday public holiday
Taking Friday, 25 September as annual leave creates four consecutive days away from work using one annual-leave day. Taking Tuesday, 29 September instead creates another four-day break.
Taking both Friday 25 September and Tuesday 29 September creates five consecutive days away from work using two annual-leave days.
These examples apply only where 28 September is your King’s Birthday public holiday. Karratha and Port Hedland workers should plan around their alternative August date instead.
How to plan this in Offdays
If you work in most of Western Australia, add Monday, 28 September 2026 to your WA holiday calendar. If you work in Karratha or Port Hedland, use Monday, 3 August 2026 instead.
Do not add both dates as King’s Birthday public holidays for the same employee. Then place annual leave around the applicable public holiday to compare longer breaks without counting the public holiday against your annual-leave balance.
For teams with employees across Western Australia, use the holiday calendar that applies to each work location rather than assigning the same King’s Birthday date to everyone.
Browse the Australia guides for national leave information or return to the Offdays blog for more leave-planning ideas.
Final thoughts
For most of Western Australia, the King’s Birthday public holiday falls on Monday, 28 September 2026.
The exception is Karratha and Port Hedland, where the holiday is observed on Monday, 3 August 2026 instead. Check the WA public-holiday calendar for your work location before planning annual leave or assuming you have a particular Monday off.