On the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s memorial, Australians will get a day off from work to honor and commemorate the monarch’s 70-year reign.
Next Thursday, September 22, will be a one-time national holiday, giving Victorians a four-day weekend owing to the AFL grand final holiday on Friday.
Here is all the information you require:
Australians will get a public holiday next Thursday, September 22, the celebrate the life of Queen Elizabeth II
What is the date of the public holiday?
The public holiday will be held on Thursday, September 22.
Who will be able to take the public holiday?
The public holiday will be held in all Australian states and territories.
As with all public holidays, different employers may chose whether to give workers a day off, pay penalty rates or give workers a day in lieu.
Several industry heads, including medical bodies, have criticised the lack of notice before the holiday as already strained workforces will now be less available.
What happens if I have to work? Do penalty rates apply?
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Monday that workers can expect to be penalty rates, as with any other public holiday.
Commuters are advised transport could be running to a different timetable.
Will I need to pay penalty rates?
As the day is being treated as any other public holiday you can expect to pay a surcharge at most hospitality venues.
Businesses will either close or pay workers penalty rates on the upcoming ‘national day of mourning’
Will schools be open?
Government schools will also be closed for the holiday, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese encouraging people to respect the ‘national day of mourning’.
Private schools can choose whether to opt-in or out of public holidays so it’s best to check-in with your school.
Will their be any special events on the day?
An 11am memorial service for the Queen will be held in Parliament House’s Great Hall on the public holiday, three days after her London funeral.
It will be attended by the governor general, prime minister, premiers and other dignitaries.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also encouraged communities to hold their own memorials, especially in places where Her Majesty visited during her 16 Australian tours.
However, many Aussies have chosen to commemorate the day by booking holidays and making the most of the extra day-off.
Many Australians, especially in Victoria where the holiday creates a four-day holiday, are expected to travel during the day-off
Why do we need a public holiday?
Mr Albanese said it’s important for Australians to take time to process the death of not just our sovereign leader of 70 years but a woman many looked up to and respected.
He added that the holiday is part of a protocol that has existed ‘for a long period of time’.
‘This has been a time of grieving but there has been that sense of gratefulness, of a life well lived, a life of service. Quite clearly, over generations, that affection for the Queen was there,’ Mr Albanese told Sunrise on Monday.
‘She was someone who didn’t just go to Sydney and Melbourne, she went to regional communities, remote communities, and had an engagement with them.
‘This is a historic event that is touching many Australians and that Australians want to participate in.’