In Australia, this year it was officially started at 2.00am (normal time), about 12 days ago, or on Sunday, October 5 to be exact. I was actually in Melbourne around that day, so I adjusted all my devices’ clock at a friend’s place where I stayed. This is my second time having it (the Daylight Saving Time or DST), and so I’m fully aware of it.
However, interestingly on Friday before the starting point of time, when I was just arrived at the Southern Cross Station, Melbourne, that beautiful morning, I read an article on a local newspaper featuring this matter. And one of the resources they used was this similar letter from a few readers, who questioning and even criticising the DST.
One of the letters mentioned – more or less – that DST is actually not a good idea, and that he/she thought it [the DST] is the one that has brought drought problem to some Australian territories – at least based on what happened in his/her own area. He/she then even “blamed” the government for supporting the extension of the time period, making a bigger chance of longer drought season.
And yes, some of Australia’s states are now having a bit longer DST period than before. It starts at the first Sunday in October and ends at the first Sunday in April next year now. Except for Western Australia (WA) that is still preparing for it currently, using the previous year’s time period: from last Sunday in October to last Sunday in March.
Well, maybe especially for my Indonesian friends out there who don’t really understand what this is all about, to put it in a simple way, a DST is actually some kind of “adjustment made by man (the government) by convention, in relation to longer day time around summer season”.
So, that’s why it goes from October to March/April in Australia, while it will be around March to November in some part of the US for example. Also, it [the time] varies from year to year, and a place/state/country can even stop having it in one year, and applies it back the other year.
Oh, and technically, the adjustment of time is made by setting the clock forward for an hour at 2.00am at the day the DST starts, and moving it back one hour at 3.00am at the day the DST ends. It means, now in this period of time, between me in Sydney and you my friends who are in Padang or Pekanbaru, Indonesia, we are know have a four-hour time difference.
Here are some sources about the DST in general on Wikipedia, or on Timeanddate.com with a list of countries around the world that have it this year. Here’s the complete list for Australia’s DST from year to year, from the Bureau of Meteorology. And if you like to know more about people’s responses here in Australia, like the example I write above, here’s one from the News.com.au site on South Australia’s DST (you gotta check the comments).
Picture is taken from Wikipedia; an image of a 2001 U.S. public service announcement.
Note: I planned to put another poll here, for this post, but maybe another time (just write your comment if you have one).
Wow, you change the clock at daytime, 2pm? In UK, I used to change the clock at midnight on the last Sunday in March and October. I still remember my first DST experience in UK: I went for breakfast an hour late, and they were closed already! (I lived in a dorm, where there’s a set mealtime). I guess I learned about DST the hard way
Though I loved being able to change the clock back — I get one more hour of sleep! lol!
Now here in Queensland, we don’t do DST!
Hey, thanks for visiting.
And how’s your feeling back then the most? Disappointed? Or a bit ashamed, or perhaps hungry..? 
Nope, it’s not on daytime, Asti. It’s at 2am.
Anyway.. indeed, that was one hard way of learning.
Well, yes, according to the list, the last time Queensland had it was in 1991-92.
No worries, just returning the favor
Thanks for linking me, I’ve added you to my blogroll too.
Aaahh, OK, my bad :p Didn’t read it properly. This is what thesis does to you — renders your brain numb hahaha
Hmm, I wasn’t embarassed coz my best friend made the same mistake! (even though she’s lived in UK almost all her life!) So I guess, I was just hungry….
Thanks for linking me as well. Cool.
Well, don’t blame it [the thesis] too much, or it’ll get harder and harder to handle within these few days..
I’ve guessed that would possibly be your answer.. haha. ‘Coz breakfast IS essential.
weh… my friend Asti is here! haha..
We have DST in Eindhoven… was my first experience coz when I was in Brisbane, we didn’t have that kind of stuff
was happy coz i had a longer sleep hahaha.. (only that day though…) the good thing was that my computer reminded me about the DST thing.. and set the clock backward. same thing with my mobile phone. since i relied on my mobile phone to look at the time… i never missed out anything 
hm.. you’re in the city where PSV (one of great football clubs i like) belongs.
anyway, good for you to have electronic appliances that don’t have trouble with DST, because I’ve heard some people actually have some gadgets that aren’t just that “smart”..
well, just for your own information, i believe i ’spent’ the first DST experience (last year) with no sleep. so, no advantage of long sleeping hours.