Standard Time Act 1895

Standard Time Act 1895 (Tasmania)

This is one of Tasmania's oldest surviving pieces of legislation. In plain terms, it establishes what the official time is in Tasmania — setting a standard clock time that everyone in the state must use.

What does it actually do?

• It sets Tasmania's official time zone, which is based on a fixed offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC, the world's standard clock reference).
• It provides a legal reference point so that courts, contracts, government, and everyday life all operate on the same agreed time.

Who does it affect?

Everyone in Tasmania — if you've ever caught a bus, signed a contract, appeared in court, or clocked into work, this law (along with related federal laws) underpins what 'the time' legally means in that context.

Why does it matter?

Without a standard time law, there would be no legal certainty about when things happen — which matters enormously for contracts, court deadlines, business transactions, and public services.

Important context

Note that daylight saving time in Tasmania is now primarily governed by federal (Commonwealth) legislation, so this Act operates alongside national frameworks.

Bottom line: This is a very old, very short law that does one simple but essential job — it tells everyone in Tasmania what time it officially is.