UK Time vs Australia
Australia spans several zones and uses daylight saving in the opposite season to the UK, so the gap swings widely across the year.
United Kingdom
Sydney / Melbourne
Current time difference
Australia covers several time zones, and being in the southern hemisphere it observes daylight saving time in the opposite season to the UK. That makes the UK-Australia gap one of the more variable ones on this site, depending on both the city and the time of year.
Eastern cities such as Sydney and Melbourne are about 9 hours ahead of the UK during the UK summer, widening to as much as 11 hours ahead during the UK winter. Brisbane does not use daylight saving time, so it sits at a similarly wide gap for much of the year without the seasonal shift seen in Sydney or Melbourne. Perth, in Western Australia, does not observe daylight saving either — it is 7 hours ahead of the UK during the UK summer and 8 hours ahead during the UK winter.
Conversion guide
A quick reference for what time it is in Australia for common UK times right now.
| UK time | Sydney / Melbourne | Brisbane (no DST) | Perth (Western Australia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9am | 6pm | 6pm | 4pm |
| 12pm | 9pm | 9pm | 7pm |
| 5pm | 2am | 2am | 12am |
| 9pm | 6am | 6am | 4am |
Best time to call
Because Australia is so far ahead, the best overlap is usually first thing in the UK morning (around 7am-9am), which lines up with Sydney or Melbourne's evening. Perth, being closer, gives a little more flexibility — UK morning to early afternoon (around 8am-1pm) generally reaches Perth's evening or later afternoon.
Daylight saving notes
The UK and eastern Australia both use daylight saving time, but in opposite halves of the year — Australia's clocks move forward around October and back around April, roughly when the UK's do the reverse. This "double effect" is why the eastern Australia gap ranges all the way from 9 to 11 hours. Brisbane and Perth do not change their clocks at all, so their difference from the UK moves only because the UK's clocks do.
Frequently asked questions
What is the time difference between the UK and Australia?
It varies by city: Sydney and Melbourne are about 9 hours ahead of the UK in the UK summer and up to 11 hours ahead in the UK winter, while Perth is 7 hours ahead in the UK summer and 8 hours ahead in the UK winter. Brisbane does not use daylight saving.
Why does the UK-Australia time difference change so much?
Both the UK and eastern Australia use daylight saving time, but in opposite seasons, so their combined clock changes push the usual gap from around 9 hours up to 11 hours across the year.
What time is it in Sydney when it is 9pm in the UK?
When it is 9pm in the UK, it is typically 6am the next day in Sydney during the UK summer, or around 8am the next day during the UK winter, since Sydney is 9 to 11 hours ahead.