As summer fades and the days start to shorten, daylight saving delivers its final twist. In April, Australians will say goodbye to those long, light-filled evenings.
But it’s not all bad news, Autumn offers some of the best conditions for sunrise: cooler, clearer air, later start times, and just enough cloud to scatter the light beautifully.
On April 5, clocks will wind back an hour, giving a brief return to brighter mornings.
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Often miscalled “daylight savings,” daylight saving is the practice of moving clocks forward by one hour in the warmer months to extend evening daylight, then moving them back again in autumn.
When does daylight saving end?
Daylight saving officially ends on Sunday, April 5, at 3am AEDT, when clocks will be set back an hour to 2am.
This annual shift occurs on the first Sunday of April, with daylight saving returning on the first Sunday of October.
Not all Australians will be affected. New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory will observe the change, while Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory do not participate.
According to the New South Wales Government, daylight saving is designed to make better use of daylight during warmer months, giving more time for outdoor activities after work or school. It also helps reduce energy consumption by limiting the need for artificial lighting in the evenings.
What the clock change means
In NSW, the clocks roll back from 3am to 2am, meaning the hour between 2am and 3am effectively happens twice.
For Australians in the observing states and territories, this provides an extra hour in the early morning on Sunday, April 5.
Most smartphones will wind the clock back for you.
When daylight saving returns
The next shift comes on Sunday, October 4, 2026, when clocks move forward an hour at 2am AEST to 3am AEDT. The change will again apply in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and the ACT.
