Every year, Anzac Day reminds me why Australia treats this date differently from most other public holiday events. I still remember organising staff cover for April 25 while checking the latest trading restrictions across states and territories, because the rules change depending on where you operate. When businesses ignore the fine print around restricted trading day rules, they risk penalties and angry customers who arrive before shops can legally open.
When you research Trading hours anzac day, you quickly notice the same theme: some locations require most shops to stay closed for half the day, while other places allow open trading all day. This guide explains the rules in plain English using the key details around ANZAC, Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, Gallipoli, 1915, commemoration traditions like dawn service, street marches, red poppy, and how they shape opening times for retail sale of goods.
Many owners also confuse Anzac Day with other restricted times like Easter 2025, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. That confusion leads to wrong rostering decisions, staff disputes, and last-minute changes. In my experience, the best approach is to plan by region, check exemptions, and set customer expectations early.
Anzac Day trading hours & restrictions
In New South Wales, the recent change matters most for retailers. The Retail Trading Amendment (ANZAC Day Trading Hours) Act 2024 changed the approach for non-exempt businesses, and the guidance from the NSW Small Business Commissioner confirmed the tighter restrictions. If your shop counts as a general retail shop that lacks a relevant exemption, you must assume you cannot trade and you should plan for closure on the full day, not just after 1pm.
NSW allows some clearly listed exemptions, so many smaller operators still open. Common exempt stores include chemists, cake and pastry shops, florists, fruit and vegetable shops, newsagencies, nurseries, takeaway food and drink shops, and petrol stations. You may also qualify as small shop retailers if you stay within limits like four staff and up to two owners, but you should check eligibility through NSW Fair Trading, especially if the owner runs more than one location or relies on a Section 10 exemption. NSW also treats Local Government Area exemptions differently because they do not apply on Anzac Day.
In Victoria, Anzac Day operates as a restricted trading period from 12.01am / 12:01am to 1pm / 1:00pm under the Shop Trading Reform Act 1996. Most shops must remain closed, but essential and exempt operators can trade, including petrol shops, restaurants, cafes, and takeaway outlets. Victoria also uses a size-based exemption, where you can trade if the shop has 20 or fewer employees and the connected entity group stays under 100 in the preceding seven days immediately before the restricted period. The state also restricts activities beyond retail, so cinemas (both indoors and outdoors), other entertainment, live dance, music events, concerts, plays, and real estate auctions cannot run before 1:00pm, even if the business qualifies for another exemption.
For the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory (NT), trading rules are simpler because trading hours are deregulated. That means businesses can generally trade without restricted retail opening times on Anzac Day. Even so, operators should pay attention to licensed categories, because liquor licensees may face limits on when they can sell alcohol. Those limits vary by state and licence conditions.
In Queensland, the outcome depends on shop category under the Trading (Allowable Hours) Act 1990. Many exempt shops enjoy unrestricted trading hours, including trading 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year, even on public holidays. Exempt examples include butchers, newsagencies, chemists, fruit and vegetable shops, florists, and service stations. However, some independent retail shops still must remain closed until 1pm, unless they operate mainly as food or grocery stores that trade without restrictions. Queensland also adds another layer for venues under the Liquor Act 1992, where the approved trading hours printed on the licence may not apply on Anzac Day.
In South Australia (SA), rules vary by district and store type. Some non-exempt shops in the CBD and certain hardware stores may trade between 12pm and 5pm, while retailers in the metropolitan shopping district, Glenelg tourist precinct, and other proclaimed districts must close. The relevant legislation includes the Shop Trading Hours Act 1977 and the Shop Trading Hours Regulations 2018, and in practice the biggest issue comes down to location and what the business sells.
In Tasmania, the rule is strict because it becomes an offence to open a shop before 12.30pm / 12:30pm under the Anzac Day Observance Act 1929. Tasmania also restricts employers who try to require staff to work without written agreement. Exempt outlets can include pharmacies, newsagents, bottle shops, cafes, restaurants, service stations, car yards, and sometimes real estate agents, plus some shops not in a large shopping complex with fewer than 10 employees in recent reference periods like March. If a store seeks special permission, the operator should apply for an exemption prior to Anzac Day each year.
In Western Australia (WA), a lot of owners still get caught out because the rules differ by area and shop classification. Some general retail shops in Perth face changed public holiday times such as 8am to 6pm, but many Perth metropolitan area shops must remain closed depending on classification. WA generally categorises outlets into general retail shops, small shop, or special retail shop, and the permitted hours depend on whether the shop sells emergency goods, convenience goods, or recreation goods. WA also treats dining differently because many restaurants, cafes, takeaway food shops, and short-term markets do not fall under the Retail Trading Hours Act 1987, and WA also treats filling station trading hours as deregulated in all areas.
Victoria: operating on restricted trading days
Victoria uses one of the cleanest legal definitions, so I often point business owners to it when they want clarity. Under Victorian law, there are two-and-a-half restricted trading days each year: Good Friday, Christmas Day, and Anzac Day between 12:01am and 1:00pm. On those days, only exempt shops can open, and the Shop Trading Reform Act 1996 explains the logic.
The Act gives two paths to legal trading. The first path allows certain types of shops by default, including chemists, petrol shops, restaurants, cafes, and takeaway outlets. The second path focuses on size and headcount: if you have 20 or fewer persons employed in the shop at any time, and your group stays under 100 employees across related entities in the previous 7 days immediately before, you can trade. Victoria defines a shop broadly as a building, structure, place, or vehicle used mainly for retail goods, but it does not treat service providers or hire outlets as shops in the same way.
Even when a retailer qualifies as exempt, Victoria still blocks certain operations before lunch time. These include cinemas, other entertainment, and activities like live dance, live music events, concerts, plays, and real estate auctions. On top of that, factories, warehouses, and premises with a manufacturing process stay shut all day based on the Anzac Day Act 1958 and the prescribed criteria within it. I always remind hospitality operators that late-night trading and liquor restrictions can apply, so businesses like bars, clubs, and bottle shops should check with the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation.
Working on Anzac Day & pay rates
Anzac Day impacts staffing as much as it impacts trading. Under the National Employment Standards (NES), Anzac Day counts as a protected public holiday, which means many employees can choose to be absent from work. The Fair Work Ombudsman guidance is clear: employers can request staff to work if the request is reasonable, but the employee can refuse on reasonable grounds.
From a payroll view, full-time employees and part-time employees who normally work the day still receive at least their base pay rate for all hours worked. Employers should remember that base pay excludes extras such as incentive-based payments, bonuses, loadings, monetary allowances, overtime, and penalty rates, unless an award, enterprise agreement, or other registered agreement provides more. Many retailers forget casual rules, but casual employees who are not shift workers commonly receive penalty rates for public holiday hours.
I’ve seen compliance issues occur when rosters get changed late. The safest move is to lock staffing early, write clear public notices, and encourage workers to check entitlements through the Pay and Conditions Tool before they accept shifts.
Liquor, gaming & licensed venue restrictions on Anzac Day
Licensed venues often run on a separate set of rules, so many of my clients plan their Anzac Day operations around liquor service and gaming restrictions. On Anzac Day Eve (24 April), venues often must stop the sale and supply of alcohol at midnight, with a grace period allowing consumption until 12:30am. Some rules also require gaming machine operations to cease at around 12.30am, so venues should manage patrons early.
On Anzac Day (25 April), several states restrict alcohol service during the morning window. Some rules specify that from 10am to 1pm, liquor may only be sold or supplied in conjunction with a meal, and only in areas ordinarily set aside for dining. Operators must follow the meal definition rules and allow service timing such as one hour before dining, while the customer eats, and one hour after finishing their meal.
For wagering and gaming, some rules allow TAB wagering operations to commence from 12 midday, but they restrict take away liquor, EGM gaming, and KENO until after 1pm. After 1pm, normal liquor and gaming trading conditions apply, which makes the afternoon far more flexible.
ANZAC Day Two-up
If a venue wants to hold ANZAC Day Two-up, it must treat it as a structured commemorative activity. Venues generally need written approval, often involving an RSL sub-branch, and they must comply with strict conditions. Those conditions include “people aged under 18 must not play two-up” and “no commission can be charged on money wagered.”
Rules also protect fairness because all money wagered must return to players as winnings, and if the venue charges an entry fee, the venue must donate that money to the RSL or groups supporting ex-service men and women and their families, sometimes through Legacy. The rules also prevent misuse, so venues cannot use funds for administrative purposes. Queensland history adds more context, because a 2012 amendment to the Charitable and Non-Profit Gaming Act 1999 (Qld) helped protect the historical role of the two-up game as a commemoration activity held after a memorial service to remember sacrifice.
Easter period trading guide
Even though this article focuses on Trading hours anzac day, many venues compare it to Easter restrictions, so I include this brief note for planning. On Good Friday Eve (Thursday 17 April), some rules require liquor and gaming service to stop at 12 midnight, with patrons leaving after 12.30am, even when the business normally holds approved extended trading hours. On Good Friday (18 April), many rules ban gaming and ban take-away liquor, but venues can supply liquor with a meal in a designated dining area.
Some rules define a meal as food eaten at a fixed table with cutlery, with substance that people normally accept as a meal. After that, venues often face fewer rules on Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday, and licensed premises usually trade under permitted hours and conditions. This comparison helps owners plan staff, stock, and messaging across multiple restricted holidays.
FAQs
What are restricted trading days?
A restricted trading day includes times like Anzac Day between 12:01am and 1:00pm in Victoria, and it limits which retailers can trade.
Can you open on restricted trading days?
Yes, if you operate as an exempt category like chemists, petrol shops, restaurants, cafes, or takeaway outlets, or you meet size criteria like 20 or fewer persons employed and group employment stays under 100.
Do you have to close on Anzac Day?
Many shops must stay closed until 1pm, while ACT and NT allow more open trading due to deregulated hours, and NSW now keeps many non-exempt retailers closed for longer.
Late-night trading and liquor restrictions
Licensed venues should check state rules on alcohol supply and gaming, because Anzac Day morning rules often restrict service until after 1pm.
What can open and when – will there be surcharges?
Exempt shops can trade earlier in many states, but general retailers often open only after midday, and venues may apply public holiday surcharge policies depending on their normal pricing rules.
