# Labour Day Public Holiday in Australia, 2026

**There is no single national date.** Labour Day is set by each state and territory, not by the Commonwealth, so the correct answer depends entirely on **where the employee works**. Committing to one date "for Australia" would be wrong.

## Why one national date does not exist

Labour Day (in some places called Eight Hours Day or May Day) is a state/territory public holiday. Each jurisdiction legislates its own date, and these are spread across **March, May, and October**. There is no uniform national Labour Day.

## The 2026 dates by jurisdiction

| Jurisdiction | Name | Rule | Date in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Australia (WA) | Labour Day | 1st Monday in March | **Mon 2 March 2026** |
| Victoria (VIC) | Labour Day | 2nd Monday in March | **Mon 9 March 2026** |
| Tasmania (TAS) | Eight Hours Day | 2nd Monday in March | **Mon 9 March 2026** |
| Queensland (QLD) | Labour Day | 1st Monday in May | **Mon 4 May 2026** |
| Northern Territory (NT) | May Day | 1st Monday in May | **Mon 4 May 2026** |
| New South Wales (NSW) | Labour Day | 1st Monday in October | **Mon 5 October 2026** |
| Australian Capital Territory (ACT) | Labour Day | 1st Monday in October | **Mon 5 October 2026** |
| South Australia (SA) | Labour Day | 1st Monday in October | **Mon 5 October 2026** |

## What this means for payroll

- **Do not apply a single date across all employees.** Apply the date that matches each employee's **place of work** (and confirm against the relevant state/territory public holiday gazette for FY2025-26).
- Note the timing spread: WA in early March; VIC and TAS in mid-March; QLD and NT in early May; NSW, ACT and SA in early October.
- Always verify against the official state/territory listing before processing, as gazetted dates are the authoritative source.

**Bottom line:** There is no one Australia-wide Labour Day date in 2026 — it ranges from **2 March** (WA) to **5 October** (NSW/ACT/SA), so the date must be determined by the employee's work location.