Victoria observes Labour Day on the second Monday of March.
Victoria’s Labour Day commemorates the Australian labour movement and the campaign for the eight-hour working day. Melbourne played a major role in that campaign, especially after the successful 1856 stonemasons’ march that helped establish the eight-hour principle in the colony.
The Victorian holiday is held in March, but it is not identical to Labour Day dates in every Australian jurisdiction. Queensland uses the first Monday of May, while New South Wales uses the first Monday of October. These differences reflect state-level public-holiday laws and separate historical traditions.
Victoria’s Labour Day is also separate from the Melbourne Cup public holiday, which is held on the first Tuesday of November in metropolitan Melbourne. The labour holiday remains a reminder of the eight-hour movement’s importance in Australian workplace history.