Originally Posted by greysrigging
Australia has the world's most confusing timezones. Individual States and Territories decide whether to use Daylight Savings. So Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory do not advance the clocks, meaning there are 5 separate timezones for 6 months of the year
Timezone Maps Winter.
Timezone Maps Summer.
As we all know, length of sunlight hours is based on latitude ( distance from the equator ), so in reality anywhere north of the Tropic of Capricorn, a fair chunk of Queensland, WA and most of the NT doesn't see much difference in daylight hours between summer and winter. Darwin at 12*S is less than hours difference....Cairns, Townsville, Broome etc similar. Overwhelming public disapproval in the Deep North when DST was trialed in WA and QLD. Too dark in the early mornings ( the time when outdoor workers are most productive ie not as hot ) Regional/country residents just don't see a benefit.
Oh, and another thing.... timezones are generally delineated by the Longitude meridians, with the base meridian being through the Observatory at Greenwich, England, hence the GMT or 'World Time'.
Australia, by some unfathomable bureaucratic quirk, decided upon a half hour difference between the Eastern States and the Central State and Territory. For example Sydney is +10GMT, Adelaide and Darwin +9.5GMT and Western Australia +8GMT
Now a country of similar distance East to West as Australia, the USA, actually has 4 timezones coast to coast, a total of 3 hours difference, which is about right by Longitude. We have 2 hours ( except its 3 during DST in summer ) And some random BS half hour in the middle of the continent. Defies logic.
Should be at the very least ( using the convenience of geopolitics ie state borders ) +10 Eastern States, +9 Central and +8 Western Australia.
And, I do believe, a modified DST of say 6 or 8 weeks each side of the summer solstice would be far more palatable to the hoards of early risers/early to bed residents up North.
DST has become longer and longer over the years with 2020 dates being 4 October to 4th April, ie 6 months ! I reckon QLD and WA wouldn't object so vehemently if it was for only 3 months ( 4 at a pinch )
Summer DST ( or lack thereof ) causes a great deal of inconvenience in this country, particularly in border towns.
And another strange anomoly in Australia, The town of Broken Hill (specified as Yancowinna County), is in far western New South Wales. Unlike the rest of New South Wales, Broken Hill (and the surrounding region) observes Australian Central Standard Time (UTC+09:30), a time zone it shares with South Australia and the Northern Territory.
And just to confuse things even more....
A compromise between Western and Central time (UTC+08:45, without DST), unofficially known as Central Western Standard Time, is used in one area in the southeastern corner of Western Australia and one roadhouse in South Australia. Towns east of Caiguna on the Eyre Highway (including Eucla,[19] Madura, Mundrabilla and Border Village, just over the border into South Australia), follow "CWT" instead of Western Australian time. The total population of that area is estimated at 200 people.[20] This area did not change when South Australia introduced DST. During the Western Australian trial of DST from 2006 to 2009, this area also sets its clocks ahead one hour during summer. This time zone is not officially recognised, but is marked by official road signs.
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