The RSL sub-branch said it had a concept it wanted to do in 2005, on the 90th anniversary, but it couldn’t gather the money in time.

It has plans for a light-and-sound spectacular with a high-profile actor and a recreation of battle scenes the night before Anzac Day.

“It’s quite costly,” Tamworth RSL Sub-branch president Barry Follington said.

“It’s a laser light and noise spectacular and involves an actor (who was going to be Bud Tingwell) but now could be Jack Thompson or someone like that.

“Everyone is gathered at Bicentennial Park, soldiers are handing out coffee and Anzac biscuits, then the RSM (regimental sergeant major) calls everybody to order; the soldiers drop the coffee and biscuits and head into the centre of the park.”

Mr Follington said the event, which would be held at last light, would go for about 90 minutes and involve a young child asking the main actor what his medals were for; the actor would then explain the story of the wars.

The main battles would be acted out in the centre of the park, complete with the Light Horses who would come galloping over the rise.

Mr Follington said he’d been to local politicians in an attempt to get seed funding, to get people to Tamworth to investigate costs and ways of raising money for the event. He said it would be done by Simon Westaway Productions, which he had been in touch with, and would probably be the only show of its kind in regional NSW, if not Australia.

“It’s very ambitious, but it would be very nice if it came off,” he said.

“We have a concept written up and hopefully we could have something made out of it, like a documentary.”

Mr Follington said RSL sub-branches were looking for suggestions about how to commemorate the centenary of the landing at Gallipoli and this was what Tamworth had come up with.

“I’ve been speaking with Simon Westaway and he’s keen. It would maybe cost $500,000, but we’d certainly get that back,” Mr Follington said.