Daylight savings happens at the same time every year but somehow catches us off guard each time. Despite being literal clockwork and being observed in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT (and Norfolk Island), the annual shift sneaks up, so we’ve broken down what daylight savings is. More importantly, when daylight savings is for 2024.

When does daylight savings start and end?

Daylight savings began on the first Sunday of October at 2am local time when clocks were put forward one hour. It ends at 2am (which is 3am daylight saving time) on the first Sunday in April, when clocks are put back one hour. For 2024 that is October 1 until April 7, 2024.

Why do we even have daylight savings?

Daylight savings in Australia was initially introduced in 1916 as a means of preserving energy in the midst of WWI, when many nations had to tighten their belts during what was essentially a war of attrition. Changing the clocks by an hour meant taking advantage of longer sunlit hours so that workers could be productive during the day and cease work before dark.

During both World Wars, all states had to observe daylight savings under federal law but it wasn’t until the late 1960s and early 1970s that many states opted in voluntarily. This is the season for Hot Toddies and roaring fires.

Confusing cows and fading curtains

A long running joke in southern states is that non-observing states (specifically Queensland) opted out of daylight savings in 1992 because an extra hour of sunlight would confuse the cows and fade the curtains. While a little bit funny, the actual reasons are more to do with proximity to the equator and economics rather than delicate silks and bovine brains.

Related story: When does daylight savings start this year?