Time zones in Australia
Australia is divided into $3$3 time zones (shown below on the left-hand map). They are:
Eastern Standard Time (AEST): covering Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Tasmania.
Western Standard Time (AWST): covering Western Australia. ($2$2 hours behind AEST)
Central Standard Time (ACST): covering South Australia, Northern Territory. ($\frac{1}{2}$12 an hour behind AEST)
The time zones become a bit more tricky during Daylight Savings because not all the states change their clocks by one hour. Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia stay on Standard Time. The map on the right shows that during Daylight Savings, Australia actually has $5$5 time zones!
During daylight savings, clocks are moved forward $1$1 hour from the standard time, so $8$8 am standard time would be $9$9 am in daylight savings time, $6$6 pm AEST would become $7$7 pm AEDT and so on.
Similarly, when we go from daylight savings time to standard time, clocks are moved back $1$1 hour, so $12$12 pm AEDT would be $11$11 am AEST and $14:22$14:22 AEDT would be $13:22$13:22 AEST.
AEDT to AEST (daylight savings time to standard time) - subtract one hour
AEST to AEDT (standard time to daylight savings time) - add one hour
Practice questions
Question 1
If it is $16$16:$14$14 in Sydney in Daylight Savings Time, what time would it be in Eastern Standard Time?
$16$16:$14$14 AEDT would be $\editable{}$:$\editable{}$ AEST.
Question 2
If it is $14$14:$35$35 in Sydney in Eastern Standard Time, what time would it be in Daylight Savings Time?
$14$14:$35$35 AEST would be $\editable{}$:$\editable{}$ AEDT.
Question 3
Complete the table to show the time in each time zone.
WST CST EST $\editable{}$$:$:$\editable{}$ $5$5$:$:$25$25 $\editable{}$$:$:$\editable{}$
$5$5$:$:$11$11 $\editable{}$$:$:$\editable{}$ $\editable{}$$:$:$\editable{}$ $\editable{}$$:$:$\editable{}$ $\editable{}$$:$:$\editable{}$ $12$12$:$:$25$25 $\editable{}$$:$:$\editable{}$ $7$7$:$:$17$17 $\editable{}$$:$:$\editable{}$