Australian schools break up for around six weeks over Christmas and summer, though the exact number of weeks depends on the state or territory. It’s the longest holiday period of the school year, running from mid-December through to late January or early February.
Each Australian state and territory sets its own school calendar, so the dates aren’t the same nationwide. Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory tend to get closer to seven weeks, while New South Wales and Victoria are usually back at their desks after about five and a half to six weeks. The difference comes down to when Term 4 finishes and when Term 1 of the following year begins, and both of those dates shift slightly from state to state. You can check the full state-by-state term dates for exact figures each year.
Private and Catholic schools sometimes follow slightly different dates to government schools, so it’s worth checking directly with your child’s school before booking anything.
When do the Christmas holidays start and end?
The table below shows the official Term 4 break heading into the 2027 school year, based on dates confirmed directly by each state and territory’s education department.
| State/territory | Last day of school | First day back | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasmania | 19 December 2026 | 3 February 2027 | 6.7 weeks |
| South Australia | 12 December 2026 | 27 January 2027 | 6.7 weeks |
| Northern Territory | 11 December 2026 | 26 January 2027 | 6.7 weeks |
| Queensland | 12 December 2026 | 26 January 2027 | 6.6 weeks |
| Western Australia | 18 December 2026 | 31 January 2027 | 6.4 weeks |
| Australian Capital Territory | 19 December 2026 | 1 February 2027 | 6.4 weeks |
| New South Wales (Eastern) | 18 December 2026 | 27 January 2027 | 5.9 weeks |
| Victoria | 19 December 2026 | 28 January 2027 | 5.9 weeks |
NSW is a special case: schools in the state’s far-west (the Western division) go back a week later than the rest of the state, on 3 February 2027, which stretches their break out to roughly 6.9 weeks. Everywhere else in NSW follows the Eastern division dates above.
Dates can move by a day or two from year to year, and individual schools sometimes add a pupil-free day before the official break starts. It’s always worth checking with your school directly, or against your state’s official term dates, rather than relying on state-wide averages alone.
How this compares to the rest of the school year
Australian schools run on a four-term calendar, with a two-week break between each term. The Christmas holidays are the exception – roughly three times longer than the breaks after Term 1, Term 2, or Term 3. It’s also the only one that falls in summer. Because the Australian school year runs from late January or February through to mid-December, the long break lines up with the hottest months, plus Christmas and New Year.
Why it’s the busiest time to travel
The combination of summer weather, school holidays, and Christmas makes this the peak domestic travel period in Australia. Beaches, national parks, and caravan parks along the coast fill up well in advance, and flights and accommodation are typically at their most expensive from mid-December through to late January. Families planning a trip over the break are usually better off booking flights and accommodation months ahead rather than closer to the date.
Childcare over the summer break
Six to seven weeks is a long stretch for parents who are working through the holidays. Local councils and community centres run vacation care programs during this period, and places can fill up quickly, so it’s worth booking ahead where possible. Some workplaces also allow parents to take extended leave to cover part of the break, which is worth raising with an employer early if it’s needed. For a closer look at what this actually costs, Vacation Care Costs: How Much You’ll Pay By State breaks it down state by state.
Families new to Australia should also check whether their child’s school year lines up with what they’re used to. Because the Australian school year starts in late January or February rather than September, children moving from the Northern Hemisphere may find themselves starting partway through a term, or repeating part of a year, depending on their age and the state they’ve moved to.