Australia
Canberra
Current time
Monday, June 22, 2026
- Capital
- Canberra
- Time zone
- Australia/Sydney
- UTC offset
- UTC+10
Australia spans three time zones, with Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST, UTC+10) as the primary zone. Major cities like Sydney and Melbourne follow AEST, switching to AEDT (UTC+11) during daylight saving (October-April). Central and Western zones are 30 minutes and 2 hours behind respectively, with no nationwide uniform time.
Major City Time Differences
Eastern cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane) use AEST/AEDT, except Brisbane which rejects daylight saving. Central cities like Adelaide and Darwin operate on ACST (UTC+9:30), with Adelaide shifting to ACDT (UTC+10:30) in summer. Perth and other Western cities maintain AWST (UTC+8) year-round, matching China's time.
Australian daylight saving runs from the first Sunday in October to the first Sunday in April. During this period, the Sydney-Beijing gap widens from +2 to +3 hours, while the difference from US Pacific Time increases from +17 to +18 hours, and from London from +10 to +11 hours.
Global Business Hours
9-11 AM AEST is ideal for Asia communications (7-9 AM in Beijing/Shanghai). European coordination works best during 4-6 PM Sydney time (6-8 AM in London). For US West Coast calls, schedule after 10 AM Sydney time (5 PM previous day in Los Angeles).
Western Australia shares China's time zone, enabling real-time collaboration. Note Queensland, Northern Territory and WA don't observe daylight saving - always verify local time rules when coordinating across states.
FAQ
- What time is it in Australia now?
- Varies by region: Eastern (Sydney/Melbourne) UTC+10 (DST +11), Central (Adelaide) UTC+9:30 (DST +10:30), Western (Perth) UTC+8. Check government alerts for current DST status.
- Why does Brisbane have different time from Sydney?
- Queensland (Brisbane) rejects daylight saving while NSW (Sydney) observes it. This creates a 1-hour gap during DST months (Oct-Apr), with no difference otherwise.
- What's the time difference between Australia and China?
- Eastern Australia is 2 hours ahead (3 hours during DST), while Western Australia matches China. Example: When Beijing is 12 PM, Sydney shows 2 PM (3 PM DST), Perth displays 12 PM.