Harmony Day
Harmony Day is a national observance that celebrates Australia’s cultural, linguistic and religious diversity on March 21 every year.
Until her passing in 2022, Australians celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's official birthday each year. It has now been replaced by the King's Birthday, which is dedicated King Charles III.
Queen's Birthday is not a public holiday in 2024. Schools and most businesses are open.
Read our 2022 news story about the global holiday implications of the Queen's passing
Many Australians have a day off work on the Queen's Birthday (the King's Birthday from 2023 onward). For many, it is a chance to do something with their family or to visit a sporting event. Some people take advantage of the three-day weekend to make trips to visit friends or relatives.
Some well-known sporting events are held on the second Monday of June. These include an Australian Football League game played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground between the Collingwood Magpies and the Melbourne Demons. It is also traditionally seen as the opening weekend of the snow season in Australia, although it is often not possible to really ski for another few weeks.
Traditionally, many public fireworks displays were organized on the Queen's Birthday. However, these have been overshadowed by the New Year's Eve displays in recent years. People in many communities can only buy and set off fireworks on the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of the Queen's Birthday weekend in the Australian Capital Territory. This is illegal at all other times of the year.
The holiday is observed on the second Monday of June in most of Australia. Schools, post offices, and other organizations are closed in most parts of Australia, except Western Australia, on this date. Stores that are open may have restricted opening hours. There may be some congestion on roads as many people use the long weekend to make trips. Public transport services may be reduced or not run at all.
The day is a holiday in Western Australia at a different date to that observed by other parts of the country. The governor in Western Australia proclaims the holiday's date for this state. There are no fast rules about when it will fall but it is often on the last Monday of September or the first Monday of October. Western Australian schools, post offices, as well as many organizations, are closed when Western Australia celebrates the Queen's Birthday. Stores that are open may have restricted opening hours in the state. There may be some congestion on roads as many people use the long weekend to make trips. Public transport services may be reduced or not run at all.
Australia is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and the official head of state is the Monarch of the Realms. This is currently King Charles, who succeeded Queen Elizabeth II. She was also the head of state of many other countries and territories, including Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Canada and New Zealand. She was born on April 21, 1926, although her official birthday has been celebrated on a range of dates in the different countries of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The Monarch's Birthday was first celebrated in Australia in 1788. In that year, King George III was the Monarch and Governor Arthur Phillip declared a holiday to mark his birthday. Originally, the Monarch's birthday was celebrated on the anniversary of the actual date of birth of the King or Queen. However, after the death of King George V in 1936, the date remained close to his birthday, which was June 3.
On the second Monday in June, the Queen's Birthday honors list is released. This contains the names of the new members of the Order of Australia and other honors issued by the Australian government or the Queen. These are generally for exceptional service to Australians, Australia or humanity as a whole.
Queen's Birthday in Australia has not been observed since 2022.
Year | Weekday | Date | Name | Holiday Type | Area |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Mon | Jun 10 | Queen's Birthday | State Holiday | All except Christmas Island, Qld, WA |
2019 | Mon | Sep 30 | Queen's Birthday | State Holiday | Western Australia |
2019 | Mon | Oct 7 | Queen's Birthday | State Holiday | Queensland |
2020 | Mon | Jun 8 | Queen's Birthday | State Holiday | All except Christmas Island, Qld, WA |
2020 | Mon | Sep 28 | Queen's Birthday | State Holiday | Western Australia |
2020 | Mon | Oct 5 | Queen's Birthday | State Holiday | Queensland |
2021 | Sun | Jun 6 | Queen's Birthday | State Holiday | Cocos and Keeling Islands |
2021 | Mon | Jun 7 | Queen's Birthday observed | State Holiday | Cocos and Keeling Islands |
2021 | Mon | Jun 14 | Queen's Birthday | State Holiday | All except Christmas Island, Qld, WA |
2021 | Mon | Sep 27 | Queen's Birthday | State Holiday | Western Australia |
2021 | Mon | Oct 4 | Queen's Birthday | State Holiday | Queensland |
2022 | Mon | Jun 13 | Queen's Birthday | State Holiday | All except Christmas Island, Qld, WA |
2022 | Mon | Oct 3 | Queen's Birthday | State Holiday | Queensland |
While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.
Harmony Day is a national observance that celebrates Australia’s cultural, linguistic and religious diversity on March 21 every year.
National Close the Gap Day (NCTGD) is an annual awareness event that aims to close the health and life expectancy gap between the indigenous and the non-indigenous communities in Australia.
Purim commemorates a time when Jewish people were saved from death around the fourth century BCE, according to the Book of Esther.
Palm Sunday in Australia celebrates Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. It is also the Sunday before Easter Sunday.