Find the correct term dates for your state or territory.
Australia does not have one national set of term dates. Use the education department calendar for the state or territory where the student attends school, then confirm pupil-free days with the school.
Most Australian government school systems use four terms each year, but the exact start and finish dates are set separately by each state and territory. Queensland dates can differ from New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory, even when the broad four-term pattern looks similar. That is why this page points you toward the relevant education authority rather than pretending there is one national calendar.
For ordinary family planning, the published state or territory term calendar is usually the right starting point. For anything that depends on a particular child being at school on a particular day, also check the school's own notices. Student-free days, local show holidays, school development days, orientation days and individual school arrangements can sit outside the standard term calendar.
Parents often use term dates to line up annual leave, holiday travel, childcare, sporting commitments and visits with relatives. A family driving interstate during a school break may also want to compare term dates across two jurisdictions because peak travel periods do not always line up perfectly. Employers and carers can use the same information when planning rosters around periods when children are home.
The government calendar is not automatically the final answer for every school sector. Catholic and independent schools may use very similar dates, but they can vary. If the dates matter for flights, accommodation, custody arrangements or paid care, verify them with the actual school before spending money.
Choose the student's state or territory, open the official education calendar and note the beginning and end of each term. Then compare those dates with your own calendar and any school-specific notices. This page is a planning reference, not a substitute for the current calendar published by the responsible education authority.