Time Zones of New Zealand | Basic time zone concepts |
| Area | Standard | DST | Duration of DST | Zone Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand, except Chatham Islands | UTC+12 | UTC+13 | From the last Sunday in September at 02:00 to the first Sunday in April at 03:00 | Pacific/Auckland |
| Chatham Islands | UTC+12:45 | UTC+13:45 | From the last Sunday in September at 02:45 to the first Sunday in April at 03:45 | Pacific/Chatham |
Source: This information was adapted from the tz database. Zone names come from that database. The names don't necessarily match any names used in the "real world".
Find the Zone Name in the table above. Then find the Rule and Standard Time for the given time and date.
| Zone Name | Rule | Standard Time | Final Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific/Auckland | Local | 1868-01-01 00:00 | |
| NZ | UTC+11:30 | 1940-09-29 02:00 | |
| NZ | UTC+12 | Present | |
| Pacific/Chatham | Chatham | UTC+12:45 | Present |
Apply the Rule, using the Standard Time for the given time and place.
| Rule | Years | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Local | All | Local Mean Solar Time |
| NZ | Standard Time, with DST = Standard Time + 0:30 during the following periods: | |
| 1927-11 to 1928-03 | From 1927-11-26 02:00 to 1928-03-04 02:00 | |
| 1928-11 to 1929-03 | From 1928-11-04 02:00 to 1929-03-03 02:00 | |
| 1929-10 to 1930-03 | From 1929-10-30 02:00 to 1930-03-16 02:00 | |
| 1930-10 to 1933-03 | From the second Sunday in October at 02:00 to the third Sunday in March at 02:00 | |
| 1933-10 to 1934-04 | From 1933-10-08 02:00 to 1934-04-29 02:00 | |
| 1934-09 to 1940-04 | From the last Sunday in September at 02:00 to the last Sunday in April at 02:00 | |
| Standard Time, with DST = Standard Time + 1:00 during the following periods: | ||
| 1974-11 to 1975-02 | From 1974-11-03 02:00 to 1975-02-23 03:00 | |
| 1975-10 to 1989-03 | From the last Sunday in October at 02:00 to the first Sunday in March at 03:00 | |
| 1989-10 to 1990-03 | From 1989-10-08 02:00 to 1990-03-18 03:00 | |
| 1990-10 to 2007-03 | From the first Sunday in October at 02:00 to the third Sunday in March at 03:00 | |
| 2007-09 onward | From the last Sunday in September at 02:00 to the first Sunday in April at 03:00 | |
| Chatham | Standard Time, with DST = Standard Time + 1:00 during the following periods: | |
| 1974-11 to 1975-02 | From 1974-11-03 02:45 to 1975-02-23 03:45 | |
| 1975-10 to 1989-03 | From the last Sunday in October at 02:45 to the first Sunday in March at 03:45 | |
| 1989-10 to 1990-03 | From 1989-10-08 02:45 to 1990-03-18 03:45 | |
| 1990-10 to 2007-03 | From the first Sunday in October at 02:45 to the third Sunday in March at 03:45 | |
| 2007-09 onward | From the last Sunday in September at 02:45 to the first Sunday in April at 03:45 | |
Note: the tz database says that the Chatham Islands have been 45 minutes ahead of the rest of New Zealand since 1957. I have an atlas published in 1944 that shows New Zealand on UTC+11:30, and Chatham Islands on UTC+12:15. In short, everything I know is consistent with the supposition that Chatham Islands have been 45 minutes later than the rest of New Zealand ever since 1868.
The tz database contains names and abbreviations for the New Zealand time zones. They were created by a contributor. Don't assume that
these names, or anything like them, have ever been used officially in New Zealand.
Auckland's time zone is called New Zealand Standard Time (NZST). During the daylight saving time period, it is New Zealand Daylight Time
(NZDT). For 1927 to 1940, when the clock was only set forward a half hour, the abbreviation is NZHDT.
The Chatham Islands' time zone is Chatham Standard Time (CHAST, or CHADT during daylight saving time).
| Back to main statoids page | Last updated: 2007-11-06 |
| Copyright © 2001, 2003, 2007 by Gwillim Law. | |