# Easter Saturday 2026 — Is it a public holiday Australia-wide?

**No — there is no single national answer.** Australia has no nationally uniform public holiday regime; public holidays are set by each state and territory under its own legislation. Whether Easter Saturday (Saturday, 4 April 2026, falling between Good Friday on 3 April and Easter Sunday on 5 April) is a public holiday for a particular employee **turns on the state or territory where that employee is based for work purposes** — and, in some cases, on their award or enterprise agreement.

## Position in each jurisdiction as at FY2025-26

| Jurisdiction | Easter Saturday a public holiday? | Source |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Yes | *Public Holidays Act 2010* (NSW) |
| Victoria | Yes | *Public Holidays Act 1993* (Vic) |
| Queensland | Yes | *Holidays Act 1983* (Qld) |
| South Australia | Yes | *Public Holidays Act 2023* (SA) |
| Western Australia | Yes | *Public and Bank Holidays Act 1972* (WA) (observed since 2022) |
| Tasmania | **No** | *Statutory Holidays Act 2000* (Tas) does not gazette Easter Saturday |
| Australian Capital Territory | Yes | *Holidays Act 1958* (ACT) |
| Northern Territory | Yes | *Public Holidays Act 1981* (NT) |

## What this means for the payroll officer

- **Easter Saturday is not a uniform national public holiday.** It is a gazetted public holiday in every jurisdiction **except Tasmania**.
- **In Tasmania**, Easter Saturday is an ordinary working Saturday under the state public holidays legislation (Tasmania instead observes Easter Monday, and Easter Tuesday for many public-sector and award-covered employees). An employee's individual position there may still be affected by an applicable award, enterprise agreement or contract, but the statutory public holiday does not exist.
- Under **s 115 of the *Fair Work Act 2009* (Cth)** (the National Employment Standards), an employee's entitlement to be absent on a public holiday attaches to days that are public holidays **"in the place where the employee is based for work purposes"** — confirming that the correct answer is location-specific, not national.

**Bottom line:** For employees based in NSW, Vic, Qld, SA, WA, the ACT or the NT, 4 April 2026 is a public holiday. For employees based in Tasmania, it is not. The payroll answer must be determined employee-by-employee according to work location (and any applicable award or agreement), not by applying a single Australia-wide rule.