Time in Australia
Time zones there are in Australia since the 1890s, when the former colonies defined a respective standard time. Before the individual sites could determine their respective local time as Local Mean Time.
The continental part of the country has three time zones: a western (UTC 8), a central (UTC 9:30 ) and an eastern (UTC 10). In addition, the outer islands mostly have their own time zones.
The proper names of the time zones vary. In the international context, they are usually called Australian Western Standard Time ( AWST ), Australian Central Standard Time ( ACST ), and Australian Eastern Standard Time ( AEST ). In Germany the term " Australian " is usually omitted.
The states and territories in the south and southeast of the country use Daylight Saving Time, but not Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.
The standardization of time in Australia began in 1892, when surveyor gathered from all Australian colonies in Melbourne for the Intercolonial Conference of Surveyors. The delegates accepted the recommendation of the International Meridian Conference of 1884, Greenwich Mean Time ( GMT) as the basis for time zones with hours have differences to take this. 1895 occurred in all colonies corresponding laws in force. South Australia had originally taken the time zone UTC 9, but this changed in 1899 UTC 9:30.
In the formation of new territories ( Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory ), the membership of the areas for each time zone was not changed.
- 2.1 debates
- 2.2 Special Occasions
Standard time zones
Western Standard Time ( AWST ) - UTC 8
- Western Australia
Central Standard Time ( ACST ) - UTC 9:30
- South Australia
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- New South Wales
- Australian Capital Territory
- Victoria
- Tasmania
Outer islands
Australia's outer islands usually have their own time zones.
UTC 6, UTC 7 8 or UTC uses - In the internationally unrecognized Australian Antarctic Territory is - depending on the station.
Anomalies
The town of Broken Hill ( or the associated cadastral district Yancowinna County) in the far west of New South Wales has the same time as South Australia.
Some settlements on the Eyre Highway (notably Eucla, Caiguna, Cocklebiddy, Madura, Mundrabilla and Border Village and the neighboring pastoral stations) in the south-eastern corner of Western Australia use unofficially UTC 8:45 what in the middle between the western and central time zone lies. Also a DST is observed in this region, but the total population is only about 200 people. On the railway line between Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta applies ( in the train and Cook), the so-called "Train Time": Western Australian time 60 minutes.
Daylight saving time
The decision to maintain a summer time or not is up to the individual states and territories. Only during the First and Second World War, the DST was carried out throughout the country. It was re-introduced in Tasmania in 1968, other southeastern states followed this example.
In New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, it is observed each year from the first Sunday in October to the first Sunday in April. Such standardization was adopted on 12 April 2007, before the summer season began in southerly Tasmania earlier.
On the Australian continent, there are five instead of three time zones during this period. Time in South Australia is UTC 10:30 be called Central Summer Time ( CST) or Central Daylight Time ( CDT) (including the prefix " Australian " ACST or ACDT ). The Southeastern States use UTC 11 with the abbreviations EST, EDT, AEST or AEDT.
As a result, there are three places in Australia where, due to the intersection of different time zones, three New Year's Eve can be celebrated ( from east to west): Cameron Corner, Poeppel Corner and Surveyor General's Corner.
Debates
In Queensland, the public opinion on the subject of "Summertime " is divided, especially in areas bordering New South Wales, the time difference between the countries is bothersome. Some holiday resorts on the border have therefore also informally introduced Daylight Saving Time. Therefore, Queensland and the Northern Territory have summer time does not last not because of the difference in day length at a shorter distance from the equator, less and less effect.
Intensively discussed the issue in Western Australia, where there have already been four referendums (1975, 1984, 1992 and 2009), but all have failed. The highest "no" value was achieved with 54.57 % in 2009. Each time was preceded by a three -year probationary period, so that Western Australia 2006-2009 also had a summer time.
Special Occasions
At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the DST was introduced on 27 August, the only exception was South Australia, which retained the regular appointment on October 29.
On the occasion of the Commonwealth Games 2006, the end of daylight saving time has been postponed to April 26.
Standardize
Although an orientation to the UTC is respected in practice since the 1990s, was formally until 2005 Greenwich Mean Time ( GMT ) of the reference point. Only because it was taken on the recommendation of the Australian National Measurement Institute of the States and Territories as a standard. This change (which was necessary to compensate for minor variations in the Earth's rotation ) entered into force on 1 September 2005.
National timeframe
However, there is in some contexts, a nationally uniform time, especially in the business community, especially in stock exchange transactions. The Australian Stock Exchange in Sydney AEST as a landmark, all contracts are therefore based on this time in effect.
In other contexts, is made to the different time zones into consideration, such as elections, two hours later in standard time end in Western Australia than in the east. Even with petitions to the Federal Court of Australia this time difference is taken into account.
Trivia
As the seasons over the northern hemisphere (Europe, North America ) are shifted by half a year, and the beginning and end of Daylight Saving Time is shifted by half a year. In northern winter prevails in Central European Standard Time (UTC 1), in Australia there is but summer and it is ( in the respective states and territories ) Summer time (for example, in New South Wales: UTC 11). This means a time delay of ten hours. In northern summer, when there Summer Time (UTC 2) is winter in Australia and it is the normal time (eg in New South Wales: UTC 10). This is a time difference of only eight hours. That is, the time difference between Central Europe and Eastern Australia, depending on season eight or ten hours. There is also a short time ( late March to early April (1 week) and early to late October (4 weeks) ), where the time difference is nine hours, as in Australia are not the same dates for the beginning and end of summer time as Europe are complied with.