When is the King's Birthday in Australia?
The King's Birthday holiday is a moveable feast celebrating the birthday of King Charles III who is not only King of Great Britain but also King of Australia, New Zealand and 12 of the 50 other countries in the Commonwealth.
Most Australian states celebrate the monarch’s birthday as a public holiday on the second Monday of June, in line with British celebrations.
The June date traditionally marks the start of the Australian ski season.
In Queensland, this holiday has been observed on the first Monday in October since 2016.
In Western Australia, the King's Birthday holiday is celebrated in either late September or early October. The date is decided by the state governor.
On this day, businesses will generally be closed. Shops may open but observe restricted trading hours. Transport may operate on a Saturday or reduced timetable.
History of the King's Birthday
From 2023, the Queen’s Birthday public holiday will be known as the King’s Birthday. The name change comes following the ascension of King Charles III to the throne in September 2022 following the death of Australia’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth II reigned as monarch for 70 years, taking the throne in 1952. Following the death of her father King George VI, Elizabeth ascended to the throne at just 25 years of age, ruling until her death at the age of 96.
Excluding a legislative amendment made to the states’ respective Public Holidays Acts to change the name, in practice nothing else about the day should be different
King Charles III was born on November 14th 1948 in Buckingham Palace. He ascended to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday September 8th 2022.
Despite the November birthday, the day is usually in June in the UK. This is because having a summer birthday means a higher chance of good weather in England during the Trooping the Colour parade for the monarch's birthday.
The King is the monarch of 15 countries, the United Kingdom and 14 commonwealth realms.
Since 1748, the monarch's official birthday has been marked by an outdoor parade known as Trooping the Colour which was usually held on the king or queen's actual birthday. Edward VII, who reigned from 1901 to 1910, was born in November. Instead of making the troops parade on a cold and dark November morning, the tradition began of celebrating his birthday officially in May or June as there was less chance of it being chilly and drizzly during the event. This tradition was then carried on by subsequent monarchs.
