Daylight saving time begins in Australia tomorrow

Sunnier days are coming for the ACT, NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania: daylight saving time starts tomorrow, Sunday 7 October 2012. At 02:00 the clocks go forward one hour to 03:00.

Tonight will be one hour shorter for people in the areas that move to daylight saving time (DST).

Greg Murray, an associate professor at Swinburne University in Melbourne who studies body clocks (circadian rhythms) and mood disorders, said that the days and weeks after the change may cause short-term problems while our bodies adjust.

"Daylight saving is designed primarily to save energy by shifting human behaviors more towards the light phase of the day," Dr Murray explained.^[1]

Adjusting to the switch can disturb sleep, but once our bodies have adjusted there are clear benefits. The sun sets one hour later, so there is more daylight in the afternoon. This extra hour of daylight can be used for exercise and for meeting people, which are both good for mental health and wellbeing.

Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory keep standard time all year.

Update, 26 October 2026: The rules are still the same: in the ACT, NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, summer time starts at 02:00 on the first Sunday of October; in 2026 that was 4 October 2026. Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory still keep standard time all year.^[2] See also: Australia and New Zealand end DST on April 7, 2013.