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Australia started its time
standardization in 1892, at a time when surveyors
coming from Australia colonies convened in
Melbourne, Victoria for the important Inter-colonial
Conference of Surveyors.
Delegates of the convention
approved the 1884 recommendation by the
International Meridian Conference for the country to
implement GMT or Greenwich Mean Timer, which became
the basis for local standard time.
The move was also
in line with usual time practice globally.
The
convention devised its own time zone system with
offsets in one-hour multiples from standard GMT. |
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These three major time zones
were later known as the modern Western, Central, and
Eastern Australian standard time, respectively.
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Australia’s numerous external territories are also
following their respective and own time zones.
Australia time zone has rules. State legislations
set standard and daylight savings times.
If there is
something to be done in specific time, the person
setting the job task is required to complete the
requirement by the specified time. It is also a
standard practice in Australia that contracts should
specify required time of completion.
By February 1895, the
legislation for a national standard time was enacted
and took effect. |
From then on, time in Western
Australia spearheaded GMT by about 8 hours. South Australia
led GMT by 9 hours, while New South Wales, Tasmania,
Victoria, and Queensland led 10 hours.
The national government is also
recognizing state governments’ power to implement and adopt
standard time. This covers ideal working hours of government
employees, local elections, and implementation of scheduled
public holidays.
Needless to say, Australia time zones vary depending on the
state geography. Australia is a nation-continent. Thus, its
total land area is so huge that the country should be
practically divided into different time zones to benefit all
industries, residents, and workers. However, just like other
good government practices, decisions about time management
and manipulation are solely left to the state governments.
The Commonwealth government has given State and Territory
governments the responsibility and authority to implement
standard time in relation to the standard Coordinated
Universal Time or UTC. The International Bureau of Weights
and Measures provide basis for the application of standard
time in Australia under the Commonwealth government’s
National Measurement Act of 1960, specifically section 8AA.
The National Standards Commission also has a say in time
standardization. The commission is mainly responsible in
giving the national government advice on technicalities
involving the national measurement system.
If you are taking a vacation in Australia, or exploring the
country through travels, you should always consult maps and
determine what time zone is used in the area where you
currently are. Of curse, different time zones mean that
there is not one time in the country. Respective and
appropriate designations of time zones are pre-determined
and conducted formally.
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