What AET means and why we use it

What AET means and why we use it

You've probably noticed "AET" used in our documentation and support hours. Here's what it actually means and why we use it.

Australian Eastern Time explained

AET stands for Australian Eastern Time. It's the umbrella term for the time zone used across Australia's eastern states and territories.

Here's the thing - AET isn't fixed like other time zones. It automatically switches between Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) and Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) when daylight saving starts and ends.

During winter (April to September), AET runs on AEST, which is UTC+10. During summer (October to March), it shifts to AEDT at UTC+11. Your phone handles this automatically, so you don't need to think about it.

Why we use AET in our documentation

We serve customers right across Australia - from Perth to Hobart, Darwin to Sydney. When we list our support hours and documentation times, we need one consistent reference point that works for everyone.

AET does exactly that. It's simple, it's accurate, and it doesn't need updating twice a year when daylight saving kicks in or out. When we say support is available 8am to 8pm AET, you can work out what that means for your local time zone depending upon what time of year it is.

What this means for your state or territory

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales (except Broken Hill), Tasmania, and Victoria

Your local time is AET.

  • When you check our support hours or documentation, just look at your clock.
Queensland

You're on AEST all year round.

  • During winter, that's the same as AET.
  • During summer when southern states spring forward to AEDT, you'll be one hour behind the AET times we reference.
South Australia and Northern Territory

You're on Australian Central Time (ACT).

  • SA is 30 minutes behind AET year-round (you also observe daylight saving).
  • NT is 30 minutes behind during winter, and 1.5 hours behind during summer (you don't observe daylight saving).
Western Australia

You're on Australian Western Time (AWST).

  • You're 2 hours behind AET during winter and 3 hours behind during summer (you don't observe daylight saving).

Daylight saving transitions

Daylight saving starts on the first Sunday in October (clocks forward at 2am) and ends on the first Sunday in April (clocks back at 3am) in participating states. Most smartphones handle this automatically.

The bottom line

AET keeps things simple and consistent for all our customers, no matter where you are in Australia. It's our standard reference point that doesn't need changing twice a year, making it easier for you to work out when we're available and when things happen.

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