The cooler weather of winter is well and truly here in Australia, and I know I’m looking forward to the first day of spring in Australia! I absolutely love springtime in Australia as it means summer will soon be here (which is really my absolute favourite season because I love Christmas, long summer holidays, BBQs, beach days and all that summer in Australia involves!) 

Back in the UK, spring time was still very cold and we could still get snow. Here in Queensland, where I live, springtime weather quickly warms up and it can actually get really hot so it’s a really lovely time of year to be living in Australia

If you’re wondering when is spring in Australia, what can you expect from spring weather in Australia, what events take place in spring in Australia and what to wear in spring in Australia, this is the post for you! 

Wondering what season is it in Australia? Read these posts about winter in Australia, autumn in Australia and summer in Australia.

This post about when is spring in Australia contains affiliate links

Australia season dates: When is spring in Australia? 

I often get asked, what does spring look like in Australia? If you’re wondering when is spring in Australia (and when is spring in the southern hemisphere) it is the opposite of the northern hemisphere! Springtime in Australia is September, October and November. The first day of spring in Australia is 1st September. 

Springtime is when the weather starts to begin hotting up. For us in Queensland, the later part of spring really blurs into summer with temperatures often reaching late 20s. 

While ‘when doesn’t spring start in Australia?’ is an easy question to answer (1st September), that *feeling* of spring is definitely something that comes at different times depending on where you are in Australia. 

Spring season in Australia: Spring temperatures Australia

If you’ve been wondering, what does spring feel like Down Under, these are the average temperatures for the spring months in Australia: 

Brisbane in spring can be 12.5 – 27.3 degrees
Melbourne in spring can be 10.3 – 24 degrees
Sydney in spring can be 10.3 – 24 degrees
Adelaide in spring can be 9.2 – 24.4 degrees
Perth in spring can be 8.9 – 25.8 degrees
Darwin in spring can be 23.1 – 33.3 degrees
Canberra in spring can be 3.3 – 22.7 degrees
Hobart in spring can be 6.4 – 18.7 degrees

(Spring Australia data from Australia.com)

The above spring temperature statistics really do highlight the variety of spring weather in Australia with some places like Canberra beginning very cold in spring and others like Darwin beginning from a much higher place!

For Australians, in what month does spring begin?

The answer really is that it depends WHERE in Australia you are as it’s such a vast country!

Spring months Australia: When is spring in Australia?

Wondering: is it spring in Australia yet? Hold your horses as it’s not quite Australia spring time (at the time of writing this article) but it isn’t too far away and trust me, winter passes really quickly here! Spring time in Australia is coming on 1st September.

A jacaranda tree in bloom in spring in Australia

If you’re interested in what is spring in Australia like, let’s talk about some of the things you can expect from spring time. Australia is a beautiful country to enjoy spring for so many reasons. 

As well as the day becoming warmer, the days become longer during the spring months in Australia. Plants bloom and trees blossom – one of the most beautiful times of the year in Queensland is jacaranda season (through October) when vibrant purple blossoms fill the jacaranda trees. For me, whenever I’m thinking about when is it spring in Queensland, my mind instantly goes towards these vibrant purple blooms that make spring so stunning here!  The jacarandas are absolutely breathtaking and in Brisbane there are some incredible places you can go to see the trees in their full glory such as New Farm Park. Sydney is also a great place to witness the colourful blooms (you can discover the best places to see jacarandas here). 

Spring is a great time to enjoy mangoes, avocados, melons, cherries, blueberries and strawberries. In Australia, food is very seasonal (unlike in the UK when we were used to having everything all year round) so everything is so much cheaper when you eat it in season here. As an example, when blueberries are in season they can be as little as $1.90 a punnet from the supermarkets and it can be many times that when they’re out of season so don’t freak out when you arrive and see reallllly expensive fruit in the supermarket as it just likely means that fruit isn’t currently in season. 

When do the spring months in Australia begin and what does spring feel like in Australia? 

Spring in Australia may officially begin in September but I find that first couple of weeks of spring can still feel a little cooler and wintery in Queensland. I’m sure in the cooler states, that wintery feeling goes on for a lot longer than a couple of weeks, too). 

For us, we don’t jump straight into the pool on the first day of spring in Australia – it’s still a bit too cold for that (our pool is unheated). Even at the end of September, it’s still quite chilly in the water although the kids will have a dip if they’re feeling brave on a sunny day. We tend to begin using our pool consistently from about mid-October when it feels warmer and the water has had time to heat up over a few weeks. 

Here are a few ways I know that springtime in Australia has arrived…

  • I stop using the heating control on our air conditioner in the mornings.
  • I stop using the roll-around heaters in our house in the evenings.
  • I wear my Oodie (big hooded blanket) less during the day (I live in it while I work during winter!)
  • I use my electric blanket less and less at night as spring progresses and it isn’t long before we take it off and pack it away. 
  • I pack away my jeans, socks and Converse for another year and switch back to dresses, shorts, t-shirts and sandals (I hang onto my zip up jumper for the first few weeks of spring as it can still feel cool in the mornings). 
  • I switch my PJs from long PJs to short ones. 

Best things about spring in Australia

Here are some of the things that I love most about springtime in Australia: 

  • When spring arrives in Australia, it means that summer is on the way!
  • After a few weeks of cooler winter weather, I’m so ready for the heat to come back again and spring is when it all begins.
  • The weather tends to be less volatile in spring in Australia – summer is our storm season in Queensland and spring tends to be much calmer.
  • It’s not yet humid in spring in Queensland so the weather can feel much more bearable than our sticky summer heat.
  • Spring is the ideal time to visit some of the places that get a bit too hot in peak summer like Far North Queensland or Uluru.
  • Spring is a great time to have visitors! We often have family come out to visit in spring as it’s hot enough without being too hot.
  • Spring is the perfect time for outdoor activities – cycling, walking, exercising outside, walking around zoos and botanic gardens etc. In summer it can sometimes get a bit too hot for this. 
  • It’s time for Halloween in Australia! My kids love going to Halloween events like Night at the Museum at Queensland Museum.

The worst things about springtime in Australia

There are a few things that aren’t so great about spring in Australia though…

  • Although the air temp can feel warm, it’s frustrating that our pool is still a bit too chilly to enjoy on the first day of spring in Australia (by mid to late spring, it’s all good though, and technically we could solve this by getting a pool heater!). 
  • I find the September school holidays strange – I think it’s because in the UK September was when the new school year began and I instantly felt Christmassy when the schools went back. Here, we still have a term left of school and rather than feeling like a new beginning, it feels a bit like we’re limping towards the end of a long year!
  • Springtime is a time of year when the magpies swoop in Australia (do research in your local area as to when this takes place for you so you’re prepared). If you don’t know about this, Google it and watch some videos. Magpies swoop at people as they’re walking or cycling past where they’re nesting and it can be a really scary (and dangerous) experience. They actually swoop from around August to November. Don’t underestimate this, I’ve seen my kids swooped before and it was a really scary experience (they don’t go any easier on adults either so don’t assume you’ll be safe from it – they attack anyone and everyone!). You will often see cyclists in Australia wearing spikes on their helmets as a deterrent method (we really wondered what they were for when we first moved here!) 

Things to do in spring in Australia

There are some fabulous festivals and events taking place in Australia during spring. Here are a few that you might like to consider. 

Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers takes place every September in Toowoomba, Queensland and is a huge, colourful celebration. If you ask a Toowoomba local when is spring in Qld, they will likely say when the Festival of Flowers takes place as it’s an integral part of the region. 

Brisbane Festival – a cultural and arts festival takes in Australia in Spring – it runs through September, and the main highlight of the event is Riverfire – a massive, free firework display over the Brisbane River. It’s a pretty incredible event! 

Canberra’s Floriade is the largest flower festival in the southern hemisphere and definitely worth visiting during Australia spring time! 

Spring is the time to explore Western Australia’s stunning wildflower trail

Early spring is a great time to visit the Great Barrier Reef as you can avoid stinger season (which begins in November) and make the most of low rainfall, and kinder temperatures. 

Spring in Australia is the perfect time to go whale watching! Although whale watching near me begins in June, I find in winter it can be a bit cold out on the water so waiting until spring gives you much better weather to stand on deck for a few hours to enjoy wildlife watching.  

Spring clothes: What to wear in spring in Australia?

If you’re wondering what to wear in spring in Australia, it’s no way near as complicated than dressing for spring in the UK is. In the UK, weather could range from icy cold or snow through to t-shirt weather and it was so hard dressing for that range of temps as you’d need so many layers and could never leave home without coats and umbrellas! Here in Australia, things are a bit more consistent and you definitely need a lot less clothes!

What to wear in spring in Australia really depends on where you are and what you’re planning on doing. 

Canberra or Melbourne in spring are much colder than Darwin in spring! There, you’re going to need warm clothes! Woolly hats, coats, jumpers, warm socks, you will still likely need your winter clothes for a while. 

For me in Queensland, I usually pack away my warmer clothes in September and go back to sandals, dresses, shorts and t-shirts. A light jumper is helpful for late nights/early mornings so you’ve got a layer to pop on. You don’t need to take tonnes of clothes out with you – the weather really won’t get THAT cold (again unless you live in Tassie, Canberra or maybe Melbourne or Adelaide in which case, keep your coats out!)

In Queensland, you won’t usually need coats, boots, hats or scarves unless you’re heading inland to one of the regions that gets colder or you’re trying to find snow elsewhere in Australia. 

Spring clothes in Australia are light and easy as you don’t want to overheat but equally you might want to throw on another light layer. Something worth remembering is that air conditioning can be fierce in Australia so indoors and on trains it can feel cool even when it’s hot outside, so always be prepared with a wrap or jumper. (Even in peak summer I’ve felt cold on trains here!) 

Protecting your skin from the spring sunshine

Don’t forget how hot it can get and how strong the sun can be even in spring – wearing a long-sleeved shirt is helpful for sun protection and if you’re going to the beach or in the pool it’s a good idea to wear a rash vest (rash guard) for added protection. Even on days when it doesn’t feel too hot, remember the sun is still strong and has the potential to damage your skin so sunscreen and shade are a must. 

What is the warmest place in spring in Australia? 

Most of Australia has warm temperatures towards the end of spring. For consistent warmth in spring, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory might be your best option if you’re on the lookout for some spring sunshine and warm spring weather. 

When is spring Australia: Enjoy your spring in Australia!

I hope this article helped you learn what month does spring start in Australia (September!), and what is spring like in Australia to help you prepare for your move. 

If you’re looking for warm weather that isn’t sticky or humid and you want to enjoy being outside, spring in Australia is a pretty special time of year! It might not be hot on the first day of spring in Australia, but the weather quickly warms up as the weeks pass. As for how long is spring in Australia, again this comes down to where you are. In Queensland, I find spring quite a short season as the weather quickly hots up and feels more summery than spring like!

If you began this post wondering when is spring in Australia, I hope this post has given you a good overview and shown you that springtime is a lovely time of the year to get out and explore Australia.  

Did you enjoy this post? Share it with the world!