When Anzac Day falls on Saturday, April 25 this year, some Australian states will observe an additional public holiday on the following Monday - while others won't. The patchwork approach highlights ongoing inconsistencies in how Australia's states handle public holiday substitutions for the nation's most solemn day of remembrance.

According to The Conversation, the variation stems from different state and territory legislation governing public holidays. When Anzac Day falls on a weekend, some jurisdictions provide a substitute Monday holiday to ensure workers don't miss out on a day off, while others stick to the actual date regardless of what day of the week it falls on.

Mate, we can't even agree on how to consistently observe the day that's supposed to represent our shared national identity. That's the Australian federation in a nutshell - eight different jurisdictions, eight different approaches to the same problem.

The states and territories that will observe Monday, April 27 as a public holiday include several major jurisdictions where the substitution rules apply. Workers in these states will get a long weekend, with Anzac Day commemorations on Saturday followed by a day off on Monday. Businesses in these areas will need to plan accordingly for what becomes effectively a three-day weekend.

Other states, however, will not observe a substitute holiday. In these jurisdictions, Anzac Day remains April 25 whether it falls on a weekday, Saturday, or Sunday. Workers who would normally have Saturday off don't get a compensatory day off during the week. The reasoning is that Anzac Day is observed on its actual anniversary date, not as a moveable celebration.

The inconsistency creates practical complications for national businesses operating across multiple states and territories. Payroll systems need to account for different public holiday calendars, and companies with operations in multiple jurisdictions face different staffing situations on the same day. It's an administrative headache that stems from Australia's federal structure.

Public holiday substitution has been debated for years in Australia. Some argue that when a public holiday falls on a weekend, workers should automatically get a weekday off to ensure everyone benefits from the holiday. Others contend that certain days - particularly Anzac Day and Australia Day - should always be observed on their actual calendar date, regardless of convenience.

Anzac Day holds unique significance in the Australian calendar. It commemorates the landing of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps troops at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915, and has become the most important day of national remembrance. Dawn services and marches occur across the country, and the day carries a solemnity that sets it apart from other public holidays.

That significance is precisely why some jurisdictions resist moving the observance to Monday. They argue that Anzac Day should be marked on April 25, the actual anniversary, and that shifting it to a Monday for convenience undermines its commemorative purpose. The counter-argument is that giving workers a Monday off doesn't prevent anyone from attending dawn services or marches on Saturday.

For workers, the stakes are practical. In states without substitution, those who normally work Monday through Friday and have weekends off get no additional leave when Anzac Day falls on Saturday. They attend commemorations if they choose, but they don't get a day off work that week. In states with substitution, they get both - commemorations on Saturday and a day off on Monday.

The tourism and hospitality industries are particularly affected. A long weekend drives travel and leisure spending, benefiting regional economies and tourist destinations. States without the Monday holiday miss out on that economic boost. On the other hand, businesses required to pay penalty rates for public holiday work face higher costs when the holiday extends to Monday.

There's been no serious push for national harmonization of public holiday rules, largely because industrial relations and public holidays fall under state jurisdiction except for federal government employees. Each state sets its own rules, and changing them requires state legislation. The result is a system that works, more or less, but with frustrating variations depending on which side of a state border you're on.

For 2026, workers in states with substitution rules should mark their calendars for a long weekend. Those in states without substitution will observe Anzac Day on Saturday and return to work on Monday as usual. Either way, dawn services will be held across the country on April 25, with Australians gathering to remember the sacrifice of those who served.

Mate, there's a whole continent down here that can't agree on when to take a day off for its most important national commemoration. That's federalism for you - sometimes it's about state sovereignty and constitutional principle, and sometimes it's just about whether you get a Monday off when Anzac Day falls on a weekend.