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 20 July 2026 against the Fair Work Ombudsman and state/territory sources.
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.