With a huge crowd, the rally attracted some musical starpower with Australian songwriter Xavier Rudd and Violent Femmes bassist Brian Ritchie offering their thoughts on why the date should be moved.

Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre president Dave Warrener said the Australia Day would continue to be celebrated as a day of invasion until it was changed.

He said the invasion contributed to the social, physical, and emotional destruction of Aboriginal people which was highlighted each year on January 26.

Labor Aboriginal affairs spokeswoman Madeleine Ogilvie said there needed to be legitimate discussion about a date change and movements within Tasmania towards treaties with its Aboriginal community.

Former Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said the day of invasion symbolised the destruction of a culture and the “slaying, raping and maiming” of its people.

Aboriginal woman Nala Mansell said the day represented “a nation shamelessly gloating about the victory of one race over another”.

Australia Day ambassador Brian Ritchie said he liked welcoming new Australians at citizenship ceremonies on this day the most but it came with some bitterness given the date on which the ceremonies fell. He said the Tasmanian Government should lead the way and be the first state to change the date.