{"id":104,"date":"2008-07-12T06:23:44","date_gmt":"2008-07-12T11:23:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.howderfamily.com\/blog\/?p=104"},"modified":"2021-05-20T17:23:53","modified_gmt":"2021-05-20T22:23:53","slug":"australias-weird-little-time-zone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.howderfamily.com\/blog\/australias-weird-little-time-zone\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia’s Weird Little Time Zone"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Continental Australia is divided into three standard time zones, Western, Central and Eastern. It’s pretty simple to understand even bearing in mind that Australian Central Standard Time aligns with the half-hour (UTC+9:30). Individual Australian states and territories determine whether to recognise Daylight Saving Time (DST) or not. Far-flung Australian island territories and its Antarctic stations add a few more complexities. Overall, Australian time is fairly straightforward and understandable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Australia<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

However Australia also has an unofficial but de facto hybrid time zone called “Australian Central Western Standard Time” (ACWST), which is set halfway between the official Western and Central times. With Western Time at UTC+8:00 and Central Time at UTC+9:30, splitting the difference makes the so-called Central Western Time UTC+8:45. Yes, a time zone that’s based not on the hour or the half-hour, but on the quarter hour!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Entering<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is quite rare, something found nowhere else except Nepal and in a few small, isolated corners of the globe. Visitors entering or leaving ACWST have to remember to set their watches in the proper direction either forward or back by 45 minutes. A highway sign reminds travelers to account for this peculiarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Just a Tiny Sliver<\/h2>\n\n\n\n