Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays in every Australian state and territory. The weekend dates differ. Easter Saturday is not a public holiday in Western Australia or Tasmania, and Easter Sunday is not a public holiday in Tasmania.
These differences do not change an ordinary Monday-to-Friday count because Saturday and Sunday are already excluded. They can matter where an award, agreement, contract or trading rule refers to the legal status of a particular day.
The four Easter dates by jurisdiction
The official 2026 holiday lists show:
| Jurisdiction | Good Friday | Easter Saturday | Easter Sunday | Easter Monday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Public holiday | Public holiday | Public holiday | Public holiday |
| Victoria | Public holiday | Public holiday | Public holiday | Public holiday |
| Queensland | Public holiday | Public holiday | Public holiday | Public holiday |
| South Australia | Public holiday | Public holiday | Public holiday | Public holiday |
| Western Australia | Public holiday | Not listed | Public holiday | Public holiday |
| Tasmania | Public holiday | Not listed | Not listed | Public holiday |
| Northern Territory | Public holiday | Public holiday | Public holiday | Public holiday |
| Australian Capital Territory | Public holiday | Public holiday | Public holiday | Public holiday |
In 2026, the dates are:
- Good Friday: Friday 3 April;
- Easter Saturday: Saturday 4 April;
- Easter Sunday: Sunday 5 April; and
- Easter Monday: Monday 6 April.
The table identifies the dates listed as public holidays in each jurisdiction. It does not determine pay, attendance or trading rights.
Why the weekend labels may not change a count
Western Australia's official 2026 list includes Easter Sunday but not Easter Saturday. Tasmania lists neither weekend date. In both places, a standard working-day calculation still excludes the whole weekend.
Suppose a three-working-day period starts on Wednesday 1 April 2026. Exclude the start date and use the ordinary Saturday-Sunday weekend:
| Date | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Thu 2 Apr | Working day 1 |
| Fri 3 Apr | Good Friday; excluded in every jurisdiction |
| Sat 4–Sun 5 Apr | Weekend; the public-holiday labels differ by jurisdiction |
| Mon 6 Apr | Easter Monday; excluded in every jurisdiction |
| Tue 7 Apr | Working day 2 in the general calendar |
| Wed 8 Apr | Working day 3; calculated end date |
The calculated end date is Wednesday 8 April 2026 in every jurisdiction. The different legal labels for 4 and 5 April do not alter the result because both dates fall on the weekend.
Tasmania's Easter Tuesday has a limited scope
Tasmania's statewide list includes Good Friday and Easter Monday, but not Easter Saturday or Easter Sunday. WorkSafe Tasmania separately lists Easter Tuesday, 7 April 2026, as generally applying to the Tasmanian Public Service.
The calculator's general Tasmania profile treats Tuesday 7 April as working day 2 in the example. It does not apply the restricted Easter Tuesday holiday to every Tasmanian user. If the period is governed by a workplace instrument or contract that excludes Easter Tuesday, that separate rule must be applied.
When the legal status of the weekend date matters
The difference between a weekend and a weekend public holiday may matter even when the calculated date stays the same. The Fair Work Ombudsman explains that public holidays form part of the National Employment Standards for employees in the national workplace relations system. Awards and agreements may also set penalty rates and other payments.
A date appearing in the calculator does not tell you:
- the rate an employee must be paid;
- whether an employee can be required to work;
- whether a request or refusal to work is reasonable;
- whether a business may trade; or
- whether a contract uses the same holiday definition.
Trading restrictions are also separate and may depend on the type and location of the business. The calendar establishes the holiday date, not the consequence under a particular employment, contract or trading rule.
How the calculator handles Easter
Select the relevant State or Territory before running the calculation. The calculator then uses these Easter dates:
- Western Australia includes Easter Sunday but not Easter Saturday;
- Tasmania includes neither weekend day and does not add restricted Easter Tuesday; and
- the other six jurisdictions include both Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday.
The result page shows which dates were excluded. If a contract uses its own definition of "business day", use that definition rather than assuming that it matches the statewide holiday calendar.
Sources and verification
Sources checked on 4 August 2026:
- NSW Government: NSW public holidays, the four Easter public holidays in the 2026 calendar.
- Business Victoria: Victorian public holidays 2026, the four Victorian Easter dates.
- Queensland Government: Public holidays, Good Friday through Easter Monday in Queensland.
- Western Australian Government: Public holidays in Western Australia, Easter Sunday and the absence of Easter Saturday from the WA list.
- SafeWork SA: Public holidays, South Australia's Easter holiday dates.
- WorkSafe Tasmania: Public holidays, the statewide dates and the restricted Easter Tuesday listing.
- Northern Territory Government: NT public and regional holidays, the four Territory-wide Easter dates.
- ACT Government: ACT Public Holidays 2026, the four ACT Easter dates.
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Public holidays, National Employment Standards guidance and the need to check the applicable award or agreement.
These official lists confirm the 2026 Easter dates and Tasmania's limited Easter Tuesday entry as at 4 August 2026.
