Annual Leave and Public Holidays in Australia

    How public holidays interact with your annual leave — and how to use them to maximise your time off.

    Public Holidays Don't Count as Leave

    One of the most important things to know: if a public holiday falls during a period of annual leave, that day is not deducted from your leave balance. You receive the public holiday as a paid day off in addition to your annual leave.

    This means that strategically planning leave around public holidays can significantly stretch your time off. For example, taking 4 days of leave around a public holiday and a weekend could give you 9 consecutive days away.

    Public Holidays for

    2026 Public Holidays

    National and Victoria-specific holidays in chronological order.

    1 Jan 2026New Year's Day
    National
    26 Jan 2026Australia Day
    National
    9 Mar 2026Labour Day
    State
    3 Apr 2026Good Friday
    National
    4 Apr 2026Easter Eve
    State
    5 Apr 2026Easter Sunday
    State
    6 Apr 2026Easter Monday
    National
    25 Apr 2026Anzac Day
    National
    8 Jun 2026King's Birthday
    State
    3 Nov 2026Melbourne Cup
    State
    25 Dec 2026Christmas Day
    National
    28 Dec 2026Boxing Day
    National

    2026 Calendar View

    National (7)State (5)Today

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    Maximising Leave with Public HolidaysPublic Holiday Cheat Sheet

    Combine public holidays with strategic leave days to maximise your consecutive time off. Here are the most common patterns Australian workers use.

    Long Weekend Bridge

    When a public holiday falls on a Thursday or Tuesday, take 1 day of leave to turn it into a 4-day weekend.

    1 leave day → 4 days off

    Easter Block

    Good Friday and Easter Saturday are public holidays in most states. Take 3 days of leave (Mon–Wed before, or Tue–Thu after) for up to 10 consecutive days off.

    3 leave days → up to 10 days off

    Christmas & New Year

    Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day are all public holidays. Strategically use 3–4 leave days to cover the gap between them for a long summer break.

    3–4 leave days → up to 10 days off

    ANZAC Day & Neighbours

    ANZAC Day (25 April) often falls near a weekend. One well-placed leave day can extend it into a 4-day break — perfect for a short trip.

    1 leave day → 4 days off

    💡 Pro Tip

    The golden rule: always check both sides of a public holiday for adjacent weekends. A single leave day placed between a public holiday and a weekend turns 1 day of leave into 4 days off — that's a 4× return on your leave investment.

      Check Your Leave Balance

      Our Australian Annual Leave Planner automatically accounts for public holidays in your state. Just select your state, add your planned trips, and see exactly how many leave days you'll actually need.