Birthdays
Birthday gift ideas for family and friends in Australia
Choose around their routines and interests, with a personal touch that makes a birthday feel closer.
Read guidePractical gifting
UK to Australia Time Difference: When to Call Family (Without Waking Anyone)
Sydney is 9 to 11 hours ahead of the UK. Every capital, the clock change dates for 2026-27, and the best times to ring without waking anyone.
The short answer
UK to Australia Time Difference
Sydney is 9 to 11 hours ahead of the UK, depending on the time of year. It's 11 hours from late October to late March, 9 hours from early April to early October, and 10 hours in the odd few weeks in between, when one country has changed its clocks and the other hasn't. Perth is 7 or 8 hours ahead. So no, it's never a flat 12 hours, and Australia is a day ahead from the UK afternoon: at 2pm in London in November, it's 1am tomorrow in Sydney.
That's why nobody can agree on the number, and why so many pages quote 9 hours as if it were fixed. Below is the full 2026 to 2027 table for every mainland capital and Hobart, the clock-change dates on both sides, a cheat sheet of good and terrible times to ring, and a few habits that make a long-distance family call stick. And when a call won't line up, you can send a gift to Australia from the UK instead: your words live behind a QR code on a premium card inside the box, ready whenever they wake up.
UK to Australia time difference, city by city (2026 to 2027)
| Dates | Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart | Brisbane | Adelaide | Darwin | Perth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Oct to 25 Oct 2026 | +10 | +9 | +9.5 | +8.5 | +7 |
| 25 Oct 2026 to 28 Mar 2027 | +11 | +10 | +10.5 | +9.5 | +8 |
| 28 Mar to 4 Apr 2027 | +10 | +9 | +9.5 | +8.5 | +7 |
| 4 Apr to 3 Oct 2027 | +9 | +9 | +8.5 | +8.5 | +7 |
| 3 Oct to 31 Oct 2027 | +10 | +9 | +9.5 | +8.5 | +7 |
Hours ahead of UK time. Each change happens in the early hours of the Sunday listed. From 31 October 2027 it's back to the second row.
The "UK summer" row (April to early October) is the easy one: Sydney and Brisbane are both 9 hours ahead, Adelaide and Darwin 8.5, Perth 7. The "UK winter" row is the one that catches people out, because Sydney stretches to 11.
Why the gap keeps changing
Both countries use daylight saving, but they're in opposite hemispheres, so the clocks move in opposite directions at different times of year.
UK clock changes
According to GOV.UK, the clocks go forward an hour at 1am on the last Sunday in March and back an hour at 2am on the last Sunday in October. That's Sunday 25 October 2026, then Sunday 28 March 2027 and Sunday 31 October 2027.
Australian clock changes
New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT put their clocks forward on the first Sunday in October and back on the first Sunday in April. The NSW Government lists Sunday 4 October 2026 and Sunday 4 April 2027, and timeanddate.com has the next start on Sunday 3 October 2027.
Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory don't change their clocks at all. So Brisbane, Perth and Darwin only move relative to the UK when the UK changes. Brisbane is always 9 or 10 hours ahead, Perth 7 or 8, Darwin 8.5 or 9.5.
The awkward weeks
For a few weeks each spring and autumn, both countries are on summer time at once. In October, Sydney has gone forward and the UK hasn't gone back yet, so the gap is 10 hours. In the week between the UK going forward (28 March 2027) and Sydney going back (4 April 2027), it's 10 again.
Those weeks are when the standing Sunday call goes wrong. They're also when Sydney and Brisbane sit an hour apart, which is entertaining if you've got one child in each.
What time is it in Sydney right now?
Google will show you a live clock before you've finished typing, so we won't try to beat it. The quick maths, if you'd rather not look it up every time:
- Late October to late March: add 11 hours. 9am in London is 8pm in Sydney.
- Early April to early October: add 9 hours. 9am in London is 6pm in Sydney.
- The weeks in between: add 10. 9am in London is 7pm in Sydney.
Perth is 3 hours behind Sydney from early October to early April, and 2 hours behind the rest of the year. Easiest of all: add Sydney or Perth to the world clock on your phone and let it do the sums.
Best times to call Australia from the UK
This is the bit people actually need. UK times on the left, Sydney on the right. For Perth, take off 3 hours in UK winter and 2 in UK summer.
| UK time | Sydney, late Oct to late Mar | Sydney, early Apr to early Oct | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7am | 6pm | 4pm | Good, they're winding down |
| 8am to 10am | 7pm to 9pm | 5pm to 7pm | The sweet spot |
| 11am to noon | 10pm to 11pm | 8pm to 9pm | Fine in UK summer, late in winter |
| 2pm to 6pm | 1am to 5am | 11pm to 3am | Don't, unless it's an emergency |
| 8pm | 7am | 5am | Breakfast call in UK winter only |
| 9pm to 11pm | 8am to 10am | 6am to 8am | Good for their morning, best at weekends |
The rule of thumb: UK morning is the Australian evening, and UK late evening is the Australian morning. The UK afternoon is their middle of the night, and there's no clever way round it.
Weekend call rituals that actually stick
The calls that last are the boring, regular ones. A few slots that work for most families:
- Sunday morning in the UK, Sunday evening in Sydney. The classic. They've had their weekend, you've had your lie-in, and nobody's at work.
- Saturday night in the UK, Sunday morning in Australia. A good one for grandkids, who are at their most chatty before the day gets going.
- A weekday breakfast call in UK winter. 8pm UK is 7am in Sydney, so you can catch them over cereal before the school run.
Pick one slot and stick to it, then move it on purpose when the clocks change. Sydney's gap shifts four times a year, so put all four dates in your calendar now: 25 October 2026, 28 March 2027, 4 April 2027 and 3 October 2027.
When a call won't work, send something they can open when they wake up
A 3am phone call from the UK says one of two things: someone's in hospital, or someone's got the maths wrong. Neither is the vibe.
When the times don't line up, send something they can open on their own schedule. A voice note recorded on your morning walk. A video of the dog. A photo of the street they grew up on. It lands while they're asleep and it's the first thing they see when they wake up.
If you're sending a gift anyway, a Same Skies box does the same job. Your words live behind a QR code on a premium card inside the box, as a message, a photo or a video, and they open it by pointing their phone camera at the code, whenever suits them. Photos and videos replay for around six months. See how the card works.
Build your own
Start with an empty box. Fill it with them.
Choose every piece yourself, pick a print that feels like them, then add your letter with a photo or video behind the QR card. We hand-pack it in Sydney and send it free.
- You choose every piece, and the print on the lid
- Your letter, plus a free photo or video behind the QR card
- Hand-packed in Sydney, free delivery Australia-wide
Questions people ask
Is Sydney always 9 hours ahead of London?
No. Sydney is 9 hours ahead from early April to early October, 11 hours ahead from late October to late March, and 10 hours ahead for a few weeks in between when only one country has changed its clocks.
Is Australia 12 hours ahead of the UK?
No. None of the state and territory capitals is ever 12 hours ahead. The biggest gap is 11 hours, for Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart during the UK winter.
What time is it in Sydney when it is 9am in London?
8pm from late October to late March, 6pm from early April to early October, and 7pm in the weeks in between.
What is the best time to call Australia from the UK?
Between 8am and 10am UK time, which is early evening on Australia's east coast. Late evening in the UK, from about 9pm, reaches Australia in the morning.
How many hours ahead is Perth?
Perth is 7 hours ahead of the UK while the UK is on British Summer Time, and 8 hours ahead from late October to late March. Western Australia doesn't use daylight saving.
Does Queensland have daylight saving?
No. Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory don't change their clocks, so Brisbane is 9 hours ahead of the UK in UK summer and 10 in UK winter.
Can't make the times work?
We pack every box by hand in Sydney and Australia Post delivers it inside Australia, so it never goes through customs. Here's how to send a gift to Australia from the UK. Or build your own box and choose every piece yourself. For something other than a box, our gift ideas to send to Australia from the UK are sorted by person.
send a gift to Australia from the UK