Daylight saving starts in NSW on October 4: What to know

Daylight saving returns to New South Wales on Sunday, October 4, bringing longer evenings, outdoor dinners and more time for walks after work or school.

The change begins at 2 a.m., when clocks move forward one hour to 3 a.m. Residents lose an hour overnight, and the missing hour returns when daylight saving ends in April 2027. Most smartphones, computers and other connected devices should adjust automatically, but analogue clocks and watches must be changed manually.

The familiar reminder is “Spring forward, fall back”. Residents can also move manual clocks forward before going to bed on Saturday night.

Daylight saving is observed in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and Norfolk Island. Queensland, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands do not observe it. Travelers and people arranging interstate calls therefore need to account for changing time differences. Sydney, for example, will be one hour ahead of Brisbane during summer.

Australia first introduced daylight saving nationwide during World War I, from January 1 to March 25, 1917, to conserve fuel and make better use of daylight. The system returned during World War II, and New South Wales reintroduced it in 1971. In a 1976 referendum, more than 68% of voters supported keeping it. The state now begins daylight saving on the first Sunday in October and ends it on the first Sunday in April.