How to Schedule a Call with Someone in Australia

Last week I scheduled a call with a client in Sydney. I live in California. The invite said "Wednesday 10 AM your time," and I showed up Tuesday at 3 PM Pacific. Their Wednesday morning is my Tuesday afternoon.

That's Australia. The timezone gap is so big that you're literally talking across days.

If you're in the US, Australia is 15-19 hours ahead depending on where you are and what season it is. From London, it's 9-11 hours. And Australia's got DST, but backwards from the Northern Hemisphere, so the gap shifts four times a year.

Here's how to actually schedule calls with Australia without losing your mind.

Australia Has Three Timezones (Plus DST Chaos)

Most Australian business happens on the east coast in AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10). That's Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Canberra.

Adelaide sits in ACST (Australian Central Standard Time, UTC+9:30). Notice that half-hour offset. Adelaide's 30 minutes behind Sydney.

Perth runs on AWST (Australian Western Standard Time, UTC+8). Perth is 2-3 hours behind Sydney depending on DST.

But wait, there's more. Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide switch to DST in October and back in April. Brisbane and Perth don't. So during Australian summer (October through April), Brisbane is an hour behind Sydney even though they're both on the east coast.

Queensland businesses tell me this constantly: "We're AEST year-round, don't forget to adjust for our lack of DST during summer."

Check Australia's official timezone info before scheduling.

The Southern Hemisphere DST Problem

Australia's seasons are opposite ours. When we spring forward in March, they're falling back. When we fall back in November, they're springing forward.

This creates absolute chaos twice a year for a few weeks.

In 2026:

• March 8: US springs forward
• April 5: Australia falls back
• October 4: Australia springs forward
• November 1: US falls back

Between March 8 and April 5, the US-Australia gap is one hour smaller than usual. Between October 4 and November 1, it's one hour bigger than usual.

I've missed calls because my calendar didn't account for the mismatch. Always manually double-check times during March-April and October-November. See our 2026 DST guide for exact dates.

Finding Meeting Times from the US

From New York, Sydney is 15-16 hours ahead. From LA, it's 18-19 hours ahead.

East Coast to Sydney: The best window is 5 PM to 7 PM Eastern. That hits 9 AM to 11 AM Sydney the next day. Americans stay a bit late, Aussies catch their morning.

I've done this for years with Sydney clients. My 6 PM is their 10 AM Wednesday. Works fine.

West Coast to Sydney: Brutal. 3 PM to 5 PM Pacific hits 10 AM to noon Sydney the next day. You're wrapping up your afternoon while they're mid-morning. It's not horrible, but West Coasters rarely want 3 PM calls every week.

Some teams I've worked with try early morning US calls (6 AM Pacific = 1 AM Sydney next day). That doesn't work — you're asking Aussies to take calls at 1 AM. Don't do that.

Working with Brisbane: Remember Queensland doesn't do DST. During Australian summer, Brisbane is an hour behind Sydney. A 9 AM Sydney call is 8 AM Brisbane. Always confirm which city you're talking to.

Finding Meeting Times from the UK

UK-Australia is easier than US-Australia. The gap's smaller.

7 AM to 9 AM GMT hits 6 PM to 8 PM Sydney time. Brits start early, Aussies stay a bit late. Both sides are in working hours.

During British Summer Time, that becomes 7 AM to 9 AM BST hitting 4 PM to 6 PM Sydney (or 5 PM to 7 PM during AEDT). Still manageable.

I've talked to UK colleagues who schedule Australia calls at 8 AM London time regularly. They say it's fine — not ideal, but not painful.

From Central Europe, you're an hour later, so 8 AM to 10 AM CET catches Aussies at 6 PM to 8 PM. Works well.

Specify Both Timezones and Dates

When you write "Tuesday 10 AM," which Tuesday? Yours or theirs?

Always write both: "Tuesday 6 PM EST / Wednesday 10 AM Sydney time."

I learned this the hard way. A client and I scheduled "Monday afternoon." I showed up Monday 3 PM Pacific. They expected Monday 3 PM Sydney. We missed each other by an entire day.

Calendar invites help, but only if your calendar software correctly handles the timezone. I've seen Outlook screw this up during DST transitions.

Australian Business Culture: Skip the Formality

Australians are direct and informal. Use first names immediately, even with executives.

I once opened a call with "Mr. Thompson" and got back "Mate, just call me Dave." They don't do titles or excessive politeness. Just get to the point.

"Tall poppy syndrome" is real — Australians don't like bragging. If you're pitching something, focus on facts and benefits, not how amazing you are. Hard-sell tactics flop.

Punctuality matters. Show up on time, especially given the effort it takes to schedule across this timezone gap.

Small talk's expected. Spend a minute asking about their weekend or the weather before jumping into business. Relationship-building matters.

Humor's often dry and self-deprecating. I've heard Australian colleagues make jokes that would sound rude elsewhere but are perfectly normal there. Don't take it personally.

Watch Out for Holidays

Australian holidays vary by state. Everyone gets Australia Day (January 26) and ANZAC Day (April 25), but others differ.

Melbourne Cup Day (first Tuesday in November) shuts down Victoria. Queen's Birthday moves around depending on the state.

I once scheduled a call on Melbourne Cup Day. Nobody showed. It's a public holiday in Victoria, and half the country treats it like a national event.

Check state-specific holidays before booking important meetings.

Work-Life Balance Is Serious

Australians protect their personal time. Don't schedule calls before 8 AM or after 6 PM their time without a good reason and explicit agreement.

Friday afternoons are risky. People leave early or mentally check out.

I've worked with Australian teams that flatly refuse calls past 6 PM. Not because they're difficult — because work-life balance is culturally expected.

Tools Save You from Math Errors

That 18-hour gap from California to Sydney breaks my brain. Is 3 PM today hitting tomorrow morning or tomorrow night?

Don't do the math manually. Use tools. Our meeting planner handles DST transitions, half-hour offsets (Adelaide), and date-line crossings automatically.

I've used Timeanddate.com for years too. Pick your city, pick theirs, see the overlap.

The Bottom Line

Australia's 15-19 hours ahead of the US East Coast, 18-19 ahead of the West Coast. From the UK, it's 9-11 hours.

Best times:

• US East Coast: 5-7 PM your time hits 9-11 AM Sydney next day
• US West Coast: 3-5 PM your time hits 10 AM-noon Sydney next day
• UK: 7-9 AM your time hits 6-8 PM Sydney evening

Always specify both timezones and both dates. "Tuesday 6 PM EST / Wednesday 10 AM Sydney" leaves no confusion.

Brisbane doesn't do DST, so it's an hour behind Sydney during Australian summer.

Australians are direct, informal, punctual, and serious about work-life balance. Skip the formality, show up on time, don't schedule late-evening calls.

Use our meeting planner to avoid timezone math errors. For UK teams specifically, check the UK-Australia meeting times guide.