# Labour Day public holiday — Australia, 2026

**Short answer: There is no single national date for Labour Day in Australia.** It would be wrong to give one confident date that applies everywhere. Labour Day is set by each state and territory, and it falls on different dates in different parts of the country. The correct answer for a payroll officer therefore **depends on where the employee works**.

## 2026 dates by state/territory

| Jurisdiction | Holiday name | Rule | 2026 date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Australia | Labour Day | First Monday in March | **Monday 2 March 2026** |
| Victoria | Labour Day | Second Monday in March | **Monday 9 March 2026** |
| Tasmania | Eight Hours Day | Second Monday in March | **Monday 9 March 2026** |
| Queensland | Labour Day | First Monday in May | **Monday 4 May 2026** |
| Northern Territory | May Day | First Monday in May | **Monday 4 May 2026** |
| New South Wales | Labour Day | First Monday in October | **Monday 5 October 2026** |
| Australian Capital Territory | Labour Day | First Monday in October | **Monday 5 October 2026** |
| South Australia | Labour Day | First Monday in October | **Monday 5 October 2026** |

## Working shown

- **1 March 2026 falls on a Sunday**, so the first Monday in March is 2 March (WA), and the second Monday is 9 March (VIC, TAS).
- **1 May 2026 falls on a Friday**, so the first Monday in May is 4 May (QLD, NT).
- **1 October 2026 falls on a Thursday**, so the first Monday in October is 5 October (NSW, ACT, SA).

## Practical guidance for payroll

- Public holidays in Australia are declared under state and territory legislation, not a single national law, so there is **no one national Labour Day**.
- The applicable date is generally determined by the employee's **work location / "base of operations"** under the relevant state or territory public holiday legislation and the *Fair Work Act 2009* (s.115 refers to holidays "under a law of a State or Territory").
- If you have employees in multiple jurisdictions (e.g., a WA employee and a NSW employee), you will need to apply **at least three different dates** (March, May and October) in the same payroll year.
- A single confident national answer — such as "Labour Day is the first Monday in October" — would be **wrong** for employees in WA, VIC, TAS, QLD and NT.

**Bottom line:** State the employee's location first, then apply the corresponding date from the table above. Do not commit to one date for the whole country.