Tasmanian women to lead Anzac Day march

TASMANIA will join a nationwide move to have female veterans and current servicewomen lead traditional Anzac Day marches tomorrow.

Thousands are expected to rug up on a cool morning for the state’s main service at Hobart’s Cenotaph to remember the last centenary year of World War I.

RSL state president Terry Roe says the decision to have women front and centre for the 11am march is about giving overdue acknowledgment.

“Our female veterans and serving defence women serve on the frontline alongside our male counterparts and have done for a long, long time,” he said.

“For far too long they’ve not been getting the recognition they deserve.”

It will be 100 years since Australian troops launched a stealthy attack to help the Allies recapture the French town of Villiers-Bretonneux from the Germans — a turning point in the Great War.

About 2500 Australians died in two battles for the town that changed hands twice in a matter of weeks.

While huge crowds will flock to services in Sydney and Melbourne, many Tasmanians will pay their respects in a more personal way. Nearly 130 services are ready to be held across the Apple Isle, including Cape Barren Island off the state’s north and Strahan on the West Coast.

“In the smaller isolated parts of Tasmania, they [the RSL] work very closely with the community,” Mr Roe said.

“It’s a big occasion for small communities and I must say they do come out in numbers to pay their respects.”

The 6am dawn service in Hobart will be followed by a midmorning march beginning at the corner of Macquarie and Victoria streets.

Scouts will hold an overnight vigil starting tonight at the cenotaph.