King’s Official Birthday in Queensland Date in the current year: October 7, 2024

The tradition of celebrating the birthday of the incumbent British monarch’s dates back to 1748, starting with King George II. During Edward VII’s reign, the celebration was moved to June, regardless of the monarch’s actual birth date–Edward, born in November, preferred June for better weather, since it is one of the warmest and driest months of the year in London, perfect for parades and other outdoor festivities. His successors followed suit, and the rest is history.

This tradition eventually spread to Britain’s then-colonies, including Australia, where the first celebration of the king’s birthday took place in 1788. Governor Arthur Phillip declared the holiday to honor King George III’s 50th birthday. Initially, the monarch’s actual birthday was observed, but after King George V’s death in 1936, it was decided to celebrate on the second Monday of June, to better spread public holidays throughout the year.

Queensland celebrated the Sovereign’s Official Birthday on the second Monday in June, along with most of the country, until 2015. In October 2015, the Parliament of Queensland passed amendments to the Holidays Act 1983, moving the celebration of the Birthday of the Sovereign to the first Monday of October. This change was made because the state celebrates Queensland Day on June 6 to commemorate the split of Queensland from New South Wales; the Sovereign’s Birthday was moved to avoid clashes between the two holidays.

Interestingly, the new date makes more sense from the weather viewpoint as well. While June is the first month of summer in the UK, it is marks the beginning of winter in the Southern Hemisphere, so the weather is often chilly and damp on the second Monday of June. October, however, is the middle of spring in Australia, and the weather is usually much more pleasant.

The King’s Birthday is a public holiday for the general population of Queensland, with schools, government offices, and most businesses closed. Mail and parcels are not delivered during the holiday either. However, some shops may remain open but have reduced hours.

Queensland is not the only state in Australia to not celebrate the King’s Birthday along with the rest of the country. Western Australia observes the holiday in late September or early October (the exact date is proclaimed by the state governor each year) to space it out from Western Australia Day, celebrated on the first Monday of June.

However, regardless of the state and date, the King’s Official Birthday is always a long weekend in Australia, and most Australians relish the chance of an extra day off and take the opportunity to visit family, travel, or just have a break.