Minister for Veterans Affairs David Elliott arrived in the city where he, along with Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson, took a soil sample from the Anzac Park Memorial Gates.

One by one, leaders from local schools also had their turn to move the dirt into the sample jar. The sample is one from more than 1600 sites of enlistment across the state collected as part of the Anzac Memorial Centenary Soil Collection project.

The samples will be placed in the renovated Hall of Service in Sydney, where Tamworth will be proudly displayed.

It was a poignant moment for Mr Elliott and Mr Anderson who both share a history of military service.