Current time in Canberra, Australia

The current local time in Canberra is shown below. Canberra observes AEST in winter and AEDT during daylight saving time.

--:--:--
—
🇦🇺 CanberraAEST

What's the daylight saving status?

Currently in AEST (standard time)
Clocks go forward to AEDT on Saturday 3 October 2026

When are sunrise & sunset today?

Sunrise
07:09
Sunset
16:59
Day length
9h 50m
Solar noon
12:04

What are the timezone facts?

Timezone
Australia/Sydney
Standard abbreviation
AEST
DST abbreviation
AEDT
Observes daylight saving
Yes
Country
🇦🇺 Australia
Business hours
09:00 – 17:00 local

What's the timezone history of Canberra?

Canberra keeps Australian Eastern Standard Time at UTC+10, shifting to Australian Eastern Daylight Time at UTC+11 over the southern summer from October to April, the same clock as Sydney and Melbourne on the eastern seaboard. Unlike Queensland to the north, which holds to standard time all year, the Australian Capital Territory observes daylight saving, so it stays in step with the surrounding state of New South Wales that entirely encloses it through every season of the year.

What are the working hours in Canberra?

Government dominates the working economy to an unusual degree: the federal parliament, the public service, the national institutions, and the embassies set the rhythm of the city, giving it a more regular office day than the commercial capitals, running broadly 08:30 to 17:00 on weekdays. The parliamentary sitting calendar shapes the busy periods. The main closures follow the Australian national holidays, clustering around Christmas and the southern summer, when much of the public service takes leave and the city quietens noticeably. Many residents head for the coast over the long summer break.

Where is Canberra?

Canberra is the capital of Australia, a planned city set inland in its own small Australian Capital Territory, around 280 kilometres south-west of Sydney among the hills and plains of the Southern Tablelands. The metropolitan area holds around 460,000 people. It was created from scratch in the early twentieth century as a compromise capital, sited deliberately between the rival cities of Sydney and Melbourne, neither of which would accept the other as the seat of the new federation.