New South Wales DST

NSW Daylight Saving Time

Start and Finish of Daylight Saving in NSW

Since 2007 NSW DST ends on the first Sunday in April at 03:00 and starts the first Sunday in October at 03:00.  

Daylight Saving Time 2005-2006

Daylight saving started on Sunday 30 October 2005 at 2 a.m. when clocks were put forward one hour.  Daylight saving ended on Sunday 2 April 2006 at 3 a.m. when clocks were put back one hour.

Commonwealth Games 2006

Parliament legislated to extend daylight saving in 2006 to coincide with the Commonwealth Games by one week to 2 April 2006.

Daylight Saving Legislation

The regulation of time is a State Government responsibility and in New South Wales the Standard Time Act 1987 governs standard time and daylight saving. Changes to the period of daylight saving may be made by regulation.

Standard Time

Standard time in New South Wales (known as Eastern Standard Time) is 10 hours in advance of Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC*), except for Broken Hill and Lord Howe Island.

Standard time in Broken Hill (i.e. the County of Yancowinna) is 9 hours and 30 minutes in advance of UTC*.

Standard time in Lord Howe Island is 10 hours and 30 minutes in advance of UTC*

* Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) replaced Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) as the international time standard.

History of Daylight Saving in NSW

Daylight saving operated nationally during World War I from 1 January 1917 to 25 March 1917 and during World War II for three summers, beginning on 1 January 1942.

Daylight saving was introduced again in this State on 31 October 1971 after the Standard Time Act 1971 was passed by the New South Wales Parliament.

A referendum held on 1 May 1976 submitted a proposal that daylight saving be adopted on a permanent basis. The ballot paper stated:
 

At present there is a period commonly called "daylight saving" by which time is advanced by one hour for the period commencing on the last Sunday in October in each year and ending on the first Sunday in March in the following year.

Electors were then asked to answer YES or NO to the question:

Are you in favour of daylight saving?

1,882,770 electors were in favour; 868,900 were against and 35,507 votes were informal. This is a ratio of 13:6 in favour.