How to fix Google Calendar not showing public holidays in Australia

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to fix Google Calendar not showing public holidays in Australia. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

If Google Calendar is not displaying Australian public holidays, the holiday calendar is usually disabled or the wrong region is selected. This guide walks you through enabling the correct national and state-based holiday calendars so public holidays appear across all your signed-in devices.

Quick Fix Steps

1. Open Google Calendar on a desktop browser.
2. Click the + button next to "Other calendars" in the left sidebar.
3. Select Browse calendars of interest.
4. Tick the box for Holidays in Australia and any state-specific calendars you need.
5. Click the back arrow, then refresh the calendar view.

Detailed Instructions

Enabling the Australian Public Holiday Calendar

1. Sign in to Google Calendar using the Google account you use across your devices.
2. In the left sidebar, scroll down to Other calendars.
3. Click the + symbol next to it and choose Browse calendars of interest.
4. Open the Holidays category.
5. Tick Holidays in Australia to display national holidays such as Australia Day, Anzac Day, and Christmas Day.
6. For state-specific holidays, tick the relevant option, for example Holidays in New South Wales or Holidays in Victoria.
7. Click the back arrow to return to your main calendar. Public holidays will now appear as all-day events.

Setting Your Default Country and Time Zone

If holidays appear at the wrong time or on the wrong date, your time zone setting may be incorrect.

1. Click the Settings cog icon in the top-right corner of Google Calendar.
2. Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
3. In the General tab, scroll to the Time zone section.
4. Tick Use your time zone (primary) and choose the correct Australian time zone, such as (GMT+10:00) Sydney.
5. Click Save at the bottom of the page.

Checking Your Calendar View

Public holidays may be hidden if your view is filtered or if the calendar layer is turned off.

1. Look at the left sidebar under Other calendars.
2. Confirm the tick box next to Holidays in Australia is checked. A coloured tick means it is visible.
3. Switch your view to Month using the tabs at the top of the calendar. Public holidays are easier to spot in month view.
4. If you use a custom view, click Show in the search bar to clear any active filters.

Syncing to Mobile Devices

Changes made in the web version of Google Calendar should sync automatically. If holidays are missing on your phone or tablet:

• Open the Google Calendar app and pull down on the screen to force a refresh.
• Confirm you are signed in with the same Google account used in the browser.
• On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts and ensure Calendars is toggled on for your Google account.
• On Android, open Settings > Apps > Google Calendar and clear the cache if events are not updating.

Troubleshooting

Holidays Still Not Appearing

• Sign out of Google Calendar and sign back in to refresh your session.
• Try a different browser or an incognito window to rule out extension conflicts.
• Check that you are not viewing a secondary calendar that has its own settings.
• Confirm your Google Workspace administrator has not disabled public calendar subscriptions, which can affect shared accounts.

Wrong State Holidays Showing

• Return to Settings > General > Alternate calendar and ensure no alternate calendar is overriding your holidays.
• Remove any unwanted state calendars by hovering over them in the left sidebar, clicking the three-dot menu, and selecting Unsubscribe.

Holidays Appear as Duplicate Events

• You may have manually added public holidays as well as subscribing to the official calendar. Remove the manual entries to avoid duplication.
• Check shared calendars from colleagues. If a colleague has added holidays manually, those will appear alongside the official ones.

Still Having Issues?