Queensland Time Zone

The world times zones were agreed to during the time of sailing ships. Based on the 360˚, a circle and 15˚ subtends very nicely twenty-four times the period of "time" the earth completes a revolution that gives us the time of a day, with local apparent noon (LAN) when the SUN is overhead. The sun "rising" from the east seems to be stationary (hanging) before "falling" to the west this is the local apparent noon at that position on the earths surface.

This is an argument how Queensland should adopt two time zones based on the Longitudinal Meridian of 144˚ east, as it will encompass the major regional towns including HUGHENDEN in the north, LONGREACH and QUILPIE in central Queensland and HUNGERFORD on the NSW border.

Why choose an arbitrary invisible line to determine the boundary, this is a start point to this discussion that excludes three towns RICHMOND, WINTON and THARGOMINDAH. These can of course be included in the same time zone as Longreach if the people, within the respective shires, desire this.

To explain this proposal a series of links to PDF documents and web cuts demonstrating the border of day and night for sunrise and sunset on 23 October 2007, the commencement of daylight saving in the New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia. Also there is a link to demonstrate the sunrise and set on 22 December 2007, the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere.

There are few major cities astride a main time meridian (1 hour intervals), therefore in Australia the meridian 120˚E (GMT/UTC plus 8 hours) is Western Standard Time [WST]), we would expect Central Australia (South Australia and the Northern Territory) to have their time zone based on 135˚E (GMT/UTC plus 9 hours). This did not happen because ADELAIDE adopted the time of plus nine and half hours (142.5˚E), most probably to be closer in time, to MELBOURNE and SYDNEY during the nineteenth century.

Interestingly BROKEN HILL (NSW) opted to operate on SA time Central Standard Time GMT/UTC plus 9.5 hours [CST]), MOUNT ISA in western Qld did not. The LAN for these three centres of population do vary over the year by only a few minutes. The third time zone is EST or Eastern Standard Time of GMT/UTC plus 10 hours based on the meridian 150˚E. The study of Australia's landmass Longitude and Latitude shown and state boundaries will identify the problem of all Victorians, New South Wales and Queensland centres located west of Longitude 140˚E.

To explain in detail the Queensland time situation with BRISBANE (153˚E) and Mt ISA (139.5˚E) there is a "real time difference" of some 13,5˚ longitude, that is about 54 minutes. That is sunrise and set at MOUNT ISA is nearly an hour after BRISBANE, there is a slight variation according to seasons due to the latitude that will vary a few minutes during the year. To explain this further this link opens a map of Queensland that can be expanded using the zoom on PDF files, this is a large file and could take time to open.

Based on this it can be argued that MOUNT ISA and region should be sharing CST with ADELAIDE and BROKEN HILL, thus the selection of 144˚E as start point to two time zones for Queensland.  If a permanent two time zones is accepted in Queensland then local government in Western Queensland can opt to EST or CST.

Daylight saving is no stranger to Australia this link will open a document detailing this history.

The best demonstration to how the "rising and setting sun" can be explained by opening this link that is a series of images taken from a US Naval site, the URL of this site is included in the PDF document.

The SUMMER SOLSTICE  occurs on the 21/22 December when the sun is overhead at 23.4˚ South the Tropic of Capricorn. This is when the greatest hours of sun light covers the land in the southern hemisphere, this link will open this PDF document, again showing the sunrise and set across eastern Australia.

I have attempted to demonstrate why Queensland needs two time zones. If adopted there will be minimal disruption and arguments for those living in the west of the state. Daylight Saving originally created in Britain during 1917 during the height of The Great War to save coal. Therefore, the same argument is valid nearly a century  to minimise greenhouse gas emissions from coal fired power stations, the Queensland government refuses to consider this for political reasons, there may yet be another trial period, or plebiscite in the future as the government is a populous government. Besides the greenhouse argument, there are many other commercial, personal and family benefits for Queenslanders with daylight saving. The Queensland resort island communities adopted daylight saving many years ago.

Should this site arouse your interest you are welcome to email Bob Buick who could include some of the arguments put forward - do not worry using fading curtains, paint peeling, dairy cows not dropping the milk as reasons against daylight saving, these are frivolous and stupid statements.