When is Family & Community Day in ACT?
Family & Community Day is a public holiday celebrated in the Australian Capital Territory region of Australia. Canberra is the only city in the territory.
This public holiday is a day that doesn't mark any historical or religious event, it is simply a chance for people to take a break from work and perhaps spend quality time with their family or friends at the start of Spring.
Mr. Andrew Barr, the ACT Minister for Industrial Relations has stated that the purpose of the public holiday was: "...to enable workers to take a break from their hectic working lives..", adding "... Australians do work the longest hours of any country in the western world. We do deserve a break."
The holiday is taken on the first Monday of the September/October school holidays, except when then the first Monday of the school holidays falls on the Labour Day public holiday, in which case, the holiday will be moved to the second Monday of the term break.
This holiday only began in 2007. Originally the holiday was taken on the first Tuesday of November, to coincide with the Melbourne Cup horse racing event.
This continued until 2010, when the holiday was switched to the Monday. One reason for the change was that having the holiday on a Tuesday encouraged people to create a four day weekend and take the Monday off as well.
