Planning Annual Leave Around Anzac Day
Anzac Day falls on 25 April every year and is a national public holiday. When it lands mid-week, a day or two of leave bridges it to the nearest weekend; when it falls on a weekend, most states grant a substitute Monday holiday.
Anzac Day often sits close to Easter, and in some years the two can be chained together into an exceptionally long break with a modest leave spend.
When Anzac Day falls, by state
| State / Territory | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Sat 25 Apr 2026 (Anzac Day) | Sun 25 Apr 2027 (Anzac Day) |
| Victoria | Sat 25 Apr 2026 (Anzac Day) | Sun 25 Apr 2027 (Anzac Day) |
| Queensland | Sat 25 Apr 2026 (Anzac Day) | Mon 26 Apr 2027 (Anzac Day (Monday)) |
| Western Australia | Sat 25 Apr 2026 (Anzac Day) Mon 27 Apr 2026 (Additional public holiday (Anzac Day)) | Sun 25 Apr 2027 (Anzac Day) Mon 26 Apr 2027 (Additional public holiday (Anzac Day)) |
| South Australia | Sat 25 Apr 2026 (Anzac Day) | Sun 25 Apr 2027 (Anzac Day) |
| Tasmania | Sat 25 Apr 2026 (Anzac Day) | Sun 25 Apr 2027 (Anzac Day) |
| Australian Capital Territory | Mon 27 Apr 2026 (Anzac Day (Monday)) | Mon 26 Apr 2027 (Anzac Day (Monday)) |
| Northern Territory | Sat 25 Apr 2026 (Anzac Day) | Mon 26 Apr 2027 (Anzac Day (Monday)) |
Public-holiday dates rechecked 22 October 2026 against the Fair Work Ombudsman 2026 and 2027 lists.
Worked Anzac Day examples for 2026 and 2027
Each example below is calculated from that jurisdiction's dated public holidays. The algorithm tests consecutive non-working segments and the working days between them, then ranks the qualifying blocks by days off per leave day. Workplace shutdowns, part-day holidays, rosters, and regional substitutions are not assumed.
2026 worked examples
| State or territory | Optimiser-derived example |
|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | Book 4 leave days (Tue 28 Apr 2026, Wed 29 Apr 2026, Thu 30 Apr 2026, Fri 1 May 2026) for 9 days off, 2.2× efficiency |
| New South Wales | Book 5 leave days (Mon 20 Apr 2026, Tue 21 Apr 2026, Wed 22 Apr 2026, Thu 23 Apr 2026, Fri 24 Apr 2026) for 9 days off, 1.8× efficiency |
| Northern Territory | Book 5 leave days (Mon 27 Apr 2026, Tue 28 Apr 2026, Wed 29 Apr 2026, Thu 30 Apr 2026, Fri 1 May 2026) for 10 days off, 2.0× efficiency |
| Queensland | Book 5 leave days (Mon 27 Apr 2026, Tue 28 Apr 2026, Wed 29 Apr 2026, Thu 30 Apr 2026, Fri 1 May 2026) for 10 days off, 2.0× efficiency |
| South Australia | Book 5 leave days (Mon 20 Apr 2026, Tue 21 Apr 2026, Wed 22 Apr 2026, Thu 23 Apr 2026, Fri 24 Apr 2026) for 9 days off, 1.8× efficiency |
| Tasmania | Book 5 leave days (Mon 20 Apr 2026, Tue 21 Apr 2026, Wed 22 Apr 2026, Thu 23 Apr 2026, Fri 24 Apr 2026) for 9 days off, 1.8× efficiency |
| Victoria | Book 5 leave days (Mon 20 Apr 2026, Tue 21 Apr 2026, Wed 22 Apr 2026, Thu 23 Apr 2026, Fri 24 Apr 2026) for 9 days off, 1.8× efficiency |
| Western Australia | Book 4 leave days (Tue 28 Apr 2026, Wed 29 Apr 2026, Thu 30 Apr 2026, Fri 1 May 2026) for 9 days off, 2.2× efficiency |
2027 worked examples
| State or territory | Optimiser-derived example |
|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | Book 4 leave days (Tue 27 Apr 2027, Wed 28 Apr 2027, Thu 29 Apr 2027, Fri 30 Apr 2027) for 9 days off, 2.2× efficiency |
| New South Wales | Book 5 leave days (Mon 19 Apr 2027, Tue 20 Apr 2027, Wed 21 Apr 2027, Thu 22 Apr 2027, Fri 23 Apr 2027) for 9 days off, 1.8× efficiency |
| Northern Territory | Book 4 leave days (Tue 27 Apr 2027, Wed 28 Apr 2027, Thu 29 Apr 2027, Fri 30 Apr 2027) for 10 days off, 2.5× efficiency |
| Queensland | Book 4 leave days (Tue 27 Apr 2027, Wed 28 Apr 2027, Thu 29 Apr 2027, Fri 30 Apr 2027) for 10 days off, 2.5× efficiency |
| South Australia | Book 5 leave days (Mon 19 Apr 2027, Tue 20 Apr 2027, Wed 21 Apr 2027, Thu 22 Apr 2027, Fri 23 Apr 2027) for 9 days off, 1.8× efficiency |
| Tasmania | Book 5 leave days (Mon 19 Apr 2027, Tue 20 Apr 2027, Wed 21 Apr 2027, Thu 22 Apr 2027, Fri 23 Apr 2027) for 9 days off, 1.8× efficiency |
| Victoria | Book 5 leave days (Mon 19 Apr 2027, Tue 20 Apr 2027, Wed 21 Apr 2027, Thu 22 Apr 2027, Fri 23 Apr 2027) for 9 days off, 1.8× efficiency |
| Western Australia | Book 4 leave days (Tue 27 Apr 2027, Wed 28 Apr 2027, Thu 29 Apr 2027, Fri 30 Apr 2027) for 9 days off, 2.2× efficiency |
Related guides
Other holidays: Easter · Christmas & New Year · King's Birthday · Labour Day · Australia Day.
By state: New South Wales · Victoria · Queensland · Western Australia · South Australia · Tasmania · Australian Capital Territory · Northern Territory.
Or read the complete strategy guide.