Current Time in Brisbane
The clock gives Brisbane time to the second. Queensland stays on AEST, UTC+10, all year, so in summer Brisbane is one hour behind Sydney.
Current time in Brisbane
- IANA zone
- Current time in Brisbane
Brisbane keeps AEST, UTC+10, in every season. Queensland does not use daylight saving time, so the hour here never jumps.
Queensland's time zone
- IANA zone
- Australia/Brisbane
- Standard time
- AEST · UTC+10
- Daylight saving time
- Not observed
Queensland experimented with daylight saving from 1989 to 1992 and then put it to a referendum, where it was rejected, with especially strong opposition in the north and west of the state. The debate returns from time to time, but the state has kept standard time since. The NSW Government's daylight saving page names Queensland among the places that do not change.
The difference matters most for broadcasts and sport. National television schedules are often set to Sydney time, so a show that starts at 7:30 PM in Sydney during summer airs at 6:30 PM in Brisbane unless the network adjusts it.
One hour apart in summer at the border
From October to April, the Gold Coast and the Tweed side of the border are an hour apart. New Year's Eve is famously celebrated twice there. Check which state a booking or flight time refers to.
- Gold Coast airport sits in Queensland, but its runway crosses into New South Wales.
- Tours and ferries in northern New South Wales may quote either time.
Brisbane and other cities
| City | In January | In July |
|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | −20 | −20 |
| Anchorage | −19 | −18 |
| Seattle | −18 | −17 |
| Denver | −17 | −16 |
| Vancouver | −17 | −17 |
| Houston | −16 | −15 |
| Lima | −15 | −15 |
| Toronto | −15 | −14 |
| Washington, D.C. | −15 | −14 |
| Buenos Aires | −13 | −13 |
| São Paulo | −13 | −13 |
| London | −10 | −9 |
| Amsterdam | −9 | −8 |
| Berlin | −9 | −8 |
| Madrid | −9 | −8 |
| Paris | −9 | −8 |
| Zurich | −9 | −8 |
| Athens | −8 | −7 |
| Cairo | −8 | −7 |
| Johannesburg | −8 | −8 |
| Doha | −7 | −7 |
| Nairobi | −7 | −7 |
| Riyadh | −7 | −7 |
| Dubai | −6 | −6 |
| Delhi | −4:30 | −4:30 |
| Dhaka | −4 | −4 |
| Ho Chi Minh City | −3 | −3 |
| Kuala Lumpur | −2 | −2 |
| Manila | −2 | −2 |
| Perth | −2 | −2 |
| Shanghai | −2 | −2 |
| Taipei | −2 | −2 |
| Seoul | −1 | −1 |
| Melbourne | +1 | 0 |
| Sydney | +1 | 0 |
Hours to add to the time in Brisbane; a minus sign means the other city is behind
Inside Australia, Brisbane is level with Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra from April to October and one hour behind them for the rest of the year; the Sydney clock shows when that switch happens. Perth is two hours behind all year.
Abroad, the gap to the northern hemisphere moves twice a year: once when Australia's south-east changes its clocks, which does not affect Brisbane, and again when Europe or North America changes theirs, which does.
Queensland's position also explains the debate. The south-east corner around Brisbane gets early summer sunrises, often before 5:00 AM in December, and some residents would prefer daylight saving. Further north and inland, the evenings are hot and people prefer the sun to set earlier, which is why statewide votes have gone against a change.
Brisbane time questions
Does Queensland have daylight saving time?
No. Queensland tried it from 1989 to 1992 and voters rejected it in a 1992 referendum.
Is Brisbane on the same time as Sydney?
From early April to early October, yes. During daylight saving in New South Wales, Sydney is one hour ahead of Brisbane.
What is AEST?
Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10. Brisbane uses it all year; Sydney and Melbourne use it only outside daylight saving.
How far ahead of Los Angeles is Brisbane?
Eighteen hours during US standard time and seventeen during US daylight time.
What happens at the Queensland–New South Wales border in summer?
Towns such as Coolangatta in Queensland and Tweed Heads in New South Wales sit an hour apart, even though they share a main street.