Daylight Saving Starts in NSW on October 4: What to Know

Daylight saving time, also known as daylight savings time or summer time, begins in New South Wales (NSW) on October 4, 2026, at 2 a.m. local time. This means that residents in NSW will lose one hour of sleep as clocks jump from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. without passing through 2:30 a.m. - a change most smartphones and computers will adjust automatically. However, analog clocks and manually operated devices will need to be adjusted manually.

The daylight saving period in NSW lasts until April 4, 2027, when clocks will move back one hour, returning to standard time. This means residents will gain an extra hour of sleep. During this period, longer evenings offer more opportunities for outdoor activities after work or school, such as walks, dinners, and beach visits.

Daylight saving time was first introduced in NSW during World War I as a way to conserve fuel and use daylight more effectively. It was reintroduced in 1971 and has been observed annually since then. The NSW government believes daylight saving provides practical benefits, such as offering more daylight in the evening for outdoor activities and better utilization of natural daylight during warmer months.