Labour Day · all states and territories
The next Labour Day is Monday 1 March 2027, in WA
That is in 128 days.
As of Saturday 24 October 2026, Sydney time.
Monday
1March 2027
Labour Day — WA
in 128 days- WA
- Mon 1 Mar 2027
- VIC and TAS
- Mon 8 Mar 2027 TAS calls it Eight Hours Day
- QLD and the NT
- Mon 3 May 2027 the NT calls it May Day
- NSW, SA and the ACT
- Mon 4 Oct 2027
Labour Day in every state and territory
| State | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW First Monday in October, section 4(i) | 5 Oct | 4 Oct | Not yet published |
| VIC Second Monday in March, section 6(d) | 9 Mar | 8 Mar | 13 Mar |
| QLD First Monday in May, the Schedule | 4 May | 3 May | 1 May |
| WA First Monday in March, Schedule 2 | 2 Mar | 1 Mar | Not yet published |
| SA First Monday in October, section 3(1)(j) | 5 Oct | 4 Oct | 2 Oct |
| TAS Eight Hours Day Second Monday in March, section 4(c) | 9 Mar | 8 Mar | 13 Mar |
| ACT First Monday in October, section 3(1)(a)(xi) | 5 Oct | 4 Oct | 2 Oct |
| NT May Day First Monday in May, Schedule 2 | 4 May | 3 May | 1 May |
Three months and three names
In 2027 Labour Day comes in March in VIC, WA and TAS; May in QLD and the NT; and October in NSW, SA and the ACT. Tasmania's Act calls it Eight Hours Day and the Northern Territory's Act calls it May Day; everywhere else it is Labour Day. No national law sets it: where jurisdictions share a Monday, each Act names that Monday separately. In October, Queensland keeps the King's Birthday on the Monday others keep as Labour Day, and every state's statewide holidays for the year are on the year calendar.
Every one of those days is a Monday, so each is a long weekend where it falls — March, May and October.
Shops: QLD names Labour Day among its closed trading days. WA and SA restrict some shops on every full-day public holiday, this one included. Each state's page sets out what may open.
Where each date comes from
- NSW: Public Holidays Act 2010 (NSW) No 115, section 4(i).
- VIC: Public Holidays Act 1993 (Vic) No 119/1993, section 6(d).
- QLD: Holidays Act 1983 (Qld), the Schedule.
- WA: Public and Bank Holidays Act 1972 (WA), Schedule 2.
- SA: Public Holidays Act 2023 (SA) No 39 of 2023, section 3(1)(j).
- TAS: Statutory Holidays Act 2000 (Tas) No 96 of 2000, section 4(c).
- ACT: Holidays Act 1958 (ACT) A1958-19, section 3(1)(a)(xi).
- NT: Public Holidays Act 1981 (NT), Schedule 2.
Read from each Act or gazette and checked between Friday 4 September 2026 and Wednesday 30 September 2026. Governments can move a holiday at short notice; for a decision that depends on it, confirm against the source linked on the state's page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Labour Day a public holiday?
Yes — every state and territory's holiday law lists it, so it is a full public holiday wherever you are; what changes is the day. Two Acts give it another name: Eight Hours Day in TAS and May Day in the NT. If you work that day, your award or agreement sets the pay.
Why is Labour Day on different dates in different states?
Because there is no national Labour Day. Public holidays are made by each state and territory's own Act, and each fixed its own Monday — so in 2027 it moves around the country from March to October. Someone who moves between Melbourne and Sydney can have two in one year — or, going the other way, none.
Is Labour Day always a long weekend?
Yes. Every Act ties it to a Monday, so with the weekend before it there are always three days off in a row. The long weekends by month show it with every other one, state by state.