A side-by-side comparison of official 2027 school term dates across every Australian state and territory, calculated directly from the term and holiday dates published on each state’s own 2027 page. Use it to see who starts and finishes school earliest, whose holidays run longest, and how much instructional time each state schedules.
| State/Territory | Term 1 starts | Term 4 ends | Total instructional time | Summer holidays (2027–2028) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | 27 January 2027 | 17 December 2027 | 41 weeks | 40 days (confirmed) |
| New South Wales | 28 January 2027 | 20 December 2027 | 42 weeks | 39 days (confirmed) |
| Queensland | 27 January 2027 | 10 December 2027 | 40 weeks | 44 days (confirmed) |
| South Australia | 27 January 2027 | 10 December 2027 | 40 weeks | 51 days (confirmed) |
| Western Australia | 1 February 2027 | 16 December 2027 | 40 weeks | 47 days (confirmed) |
| Tasmania | 4 February 2027 | 16 December 2027 | 40 weeks | TBD – end date not yet published |
| Australian Capital Territory | 1 February 2027 | 17 December 2027 | 40 weeks | 52 days (confirmed) |
| Northern Territory | 27 January 2027 | 9 December 2027 | 40 weeks | 46 days (confirmed) |
How 2027 compares across states
- Earliest school return: Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Northern Territory start Term 1 earliest in 2027, on 27 January 2027.
- Latest school return: Tasmania starts latest, on 4 February 2027 — an 8-day spread across the states with published dates.
- Longest summer holidays: Australian Capital Territory has the longest 2027–2028 summer break among states with a confirmed end date, at 52 days.
- Shortest summer holidays: New South Wales has the shortest, at 39 days.
- Most instructional time: New South Wales runs the most total instructional time in 2027, at 42 weeks.
- Least instructional time: Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory run the least, at 40 weeks.
Figures are calculated directly from each state’s published term and holiday dates — see the linked state/year pages for the full tables and sources. “Total instructional time” is calendar weeks across the four terms; it is not a count of individual school days.
How the 2027 term break windows overlap between states
School holiday breaks don’t line up neatly across Australia — each state and territory sets its own term dates, so the same named break (autumn, winter or spring) can start more than a week apart depending on where you live. Here is how the 2027 mid-year breaks compare, calculated directly from each state’s own published dates:
Autumn break: Victoria is first to start, on 26 March 2027, while Australian Capital Territory starts last, on 10 April 2027 — a 15-day spread in start dates alone. Every state’s autumn break overlaps for at least 2 days, from 10 April to 11 April 2027, so a trip booked inside that window avoids clashing with term time anywhere.
Winter break: Northern Territory is first to start, on 19 June 2027, while Australian Capital Territory starts last, on 3 July 2027 — a 14-day spread in start dates alone. Every state’s winter break overlaps for at least 9 days, from 3 July to 11 July 2027, so a trip booked inside that window avoids clashing with term time anywhere.
Spring break: Victoria is first to start, on 18 September 2027, while Australian Capital Territory starts last, on 25 September 2027 — a 7-day spread in start dates alone. Every state’s spring break overlaps for at least 9 days, from 25 September to 3 October 2027, so a trip booked inside that window avoids clashing with term time anywhere.
These overlap windows are useful for interstate trips, visiting family in another state, or coordinating with relatives whose kids attend school in a different state or territory. Always check the linked state pages for that state’s exact dates before booking, since a school’s own pupil-free days can shift the effective start or end of a break by a day or two.