Proclamation Day 2026

Proclamation Day is South Australia's public holiday on 26 December, the day the other states and territories call Boxing Day. It is a day off under the Public Holidays Act 2023 (SA) and applies across the whole state. When 26 December falls on a weekend or a Monday, an additional public holiday follows on a weekday. In 2026 the date is Saturday 26 December, and Monday 28 December is also a public holiday.

Shops, schools and work

Proclamation Day is a full public holiday throughout South Australia. Banks and government offices are closed, as are many other businesses. Public transport in Adelaide typically runs a reduced timetable. Whether shops open, and for how long, depends on the store and its location, so hours vary. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are both part-day public holidays in South Australia from 7pm to midnight. Many workplaces close for the whole period between Christmas and New Year, and the working days calculator and the South Australia page help with planning leave.

History

The name refers to the proclamation that established the government of the Province of South Australia. Governor John Hindmarsh arrived aboard HMS Buffalo, and on 28 December 1836 the proclamation was read at Holdfast Bay, near present-day Glenelg. The ceremony took place beside a gum tree whose remains are preserved as the Old Gum Tree. South Australia was settled as a free colony, without convict transportation, and 28 December is regarded as the anniversary of its founding.

South Australia has long used the name Proclamation Day, rather than Boxing Day, for its holiday after Christmas. The Public Holidays Act 2023 replaced the earlier Holidays Act 1910. It keeps Proclamation Day on 26 December and sets fixed rules for years when that date falls on a weekend or a Monday. As a result, the holiday falls two days before the historical anniversary.

How Australians spend the day

For most South Australians the day is observed in the same way as Boxing Day elsewhere. Many people spend it with family, go to the beach or follow the Boxing Day Test, which starts in Melbourne on 26 December. Post-Christmas sales begin around this time, although shop trading rules in South Australia differ by area. The founding of the colony is commemorated separately at the Old Gum Tree in Glenelg North on 28 December. The Governor of South Australia usually attends this civic ceremony, where the text of the proclamation is read aloud as part of a programme hosted by the local council.

Facts

• Proclamation Day applies only in South Australia; every other state and territory calls its 26 December holiday Boxing Day.
• If 26 December is a Saturday, the following Monday is also a public holiday under the Public Holidays Act 2023 (SA).
• If 26 December is a Sunday or Monday, the additional public holiday is the following Tuesday, because the Monday is already taken by Christmas Day's additional holiday.
• In 2028 the date is a Tuesday, so no additional day applies.
• The proclamation the day is named after was read at Holdfast Bay, near Glenelg, on 28 December 1836.