A side-by-side comparison of official 2029 school term dates across every Australian state and territory, calculated directly from the term and holiday dates published on each state’s own 2029 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 (2029–2030) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | 29 January 2029 | 21 December 2029 | 41 weeks | 38 days (confirmed) |
| New South Wales | 29 January 2029 | 20 December 2029 | 41 weeks | 41 days (confirmed) |
| Queensland | 22 January 2029 | 7 December 2029 | 40 weeks | TBD – end date not yet published |
| South Australia | 29 January 2029 | 14 December 2029 | 40 weeks | 45 days (confirmed) |
| Western Australia | 31 January 2029 | 19 December 2029 | 41 weeks | 46 days (confirmed) |
| Tasmania | Not yet published | |||
| Australian Capital Territory | 6 February 2029 | 21 December 2029 | 40 weeks | 45 days (confirmed) |
| Northern Territory | 30 January 2029 | 13 December 2029 | 40 weeks | 47 days (confirmed) |
Tasmania has not yet published official 2029 term dates, so it is excluded from the rankings below.
How 2029 compares across states
- Earliest school return: Queensland starts Term 1 earliest in 2029, on 22 January 2029.
- Latest school return: Australian Capital Territory starts latest, on 6 February 2029 — a 15-day spread across the states with published dates.
- Longest summer holidays: Northern Territory has the longest 2029–2030 summer break among states with a confirmed end date, at 47 days.
- Shortest summer holidays: Victoria has the shortest, at 38 days.
- Most instructional time: Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia run the most total instructional time in 2029, at 41 weeks.
- Least instructional time: Queensland, South Australia, 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 2029 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 2029 mid-year breaks compare, calculated directly from each state’s own published dates:
Autumn break: Victoria is first to start, on 30 March 2029, while Australian Capital Territory starts last, on 14 April 2029 — a 15-day spread in start dates alone. Every state’s autumn break overlaps for at least 2 days, from 14 April to 15 April 2029, so a trip booked inside that window avoids clashing with term time anywhere.
Winter break: Queensland is first to start, on 23 June 2029, while Australian Capital Territory starts last, on 7 July 2029 — a 14-day spread in start dates alone. Every state’s winter break overlaps for at least 2 days, from 7 July to 8 July 2029, so a trip booked inside that window avoids clashing with term time anywhere.
Spring break: Queensland is first to start, on 15 September 2029, while Australian Capital Territory starts last, on 29 September 2029 — a 14-day spread in start dates alone. Every state’s spring break overlaps for at least 3 days, from 29 September to 1 October 2029, 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.