Australia commonly used the term V-P Day, meaning Victory in the Pacific Day, for its celebration of Japan’s defeat.
The expression appeared in Australian reporting and government announcements in August 1945. It emphasized the Pacific theater, where Australian forces had fought Japanese forces across New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and nearby island campaigns. Other Allied countries more often used V-J Day, meaning Victory over Japan Day.
The terms referred to the same broad victory but did not always use the same date. In Japan, the surrender announcement was broadcast on August 15. In the United States and some other places, celebrations began on August 14 because of time-zone differences. The formal surrender document was signed on September 2.
V-P Day should not be confused with V-E Day, which marked Germany’s surrender in Europe on May 8, 1945. Australia’s wording also reflects the country’s geographic and military focus on the Pacific war rather than a different surrender event.