"Tatura" redirects here. The gossamer-winged butterfly genus Tatura is nowadays usually included in Hypolycaena.

Tatura Victoria
Main street
Tatura
Population:	3,533 [1]
Postcode:	3616
Coordinates:	36°26′S 145°14′E / 36.433°S 145.233°E / -36.433; 145.233Coordinates: 36°26′S 145°14′E / 36.433°S 145.233°E / -36.433; 145.233
Elevation:	114 m (374 ft)
Location:	167 km (104 mi) from Melbourne 20 km (12 mi) from Shepparton
LGA:	City of Greater Shepparton
State District:	Shepparton
Federal Division:	Murray
Mean Max Temp Mean Min Temp Annual Rainfall 21.3 °C 70 °F 8.3 °C 47 °F 474.1 mm 18.7 in

Tatura is a town 17 km west-south-west of Shepparton in Victoria, Australia located 3 km off the Midland Highway, forming part of the City of Greater Shepparton. At the 2006 census, Tatura had a population of 3,533,^[1] however the true figure is believed to be close to 4,400^[2]. Attractions include the Cussen Park wetlands and the Wartime Camps and Irrigation Museum. It is home to Tatura Milk Industries, Goulburn-Murray Water's head office and the Tatura Research and Extension Centre of the Victorian Department of Primary Industry located at Tatura East. In addition, Unilever has one its food processing plants situated in the Northern half of the town. The town is associated with the water wheel or dethridge wheel, a device used to measure the amount of irrigation water released from a channel to a farmer's property.

The name of the town is an Aboriginal word meaning "small lagoon".

Contents 1 History 1.1 World War II internment camps 2 Agriculture 3 Food 4 Sport 5 Education 6 Media 7 Surrounding Towns/Area 8 External links 9 References

[edit] History

The Post Office opened on 1 February 1875.^[3]

[edit] World War II internment camps

A number of internment camps were set up around Tatura, Rushworth and Murchison (Dhurringile) during World War II.

In 1941, German Templers were shipped from Palestine and interned for the duration of the war, which led to the establishment of the Temple Society Australia.

In 1943, Major Jullian Leyton arrived from England on a mission. Leyton, a Jew like many of the 'Dunera Boys', managed to secure the release of many of them if they enlisted in the British or Australian Army. At the end of the war all of the Dunera Boys were released.

The crew of the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran were also interned following the battle between HMAS Sydney and HSK Kormoran. 351 German civilians and servicemen who died during internment (WWI and WWII) are buried in the Tatura German Military Cemetery.

There were also German detainees from the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.

[edit] Agriculture

The Tatura Show is held yearly in March and International Dairy Week (which is the second largest dairy show in the Southern Hemisphere) in January each year attracting over 6,000 exhibitors, vendors and onlookers from Australia as well as overseas.

[edit] Food

Tatura Hot Bread, a local bakery, has won prizes in the Professional Section of The Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph in 2006 and again in 2007 ^[4]. The Taste of Tatura Food and Wine Festival is held on the first Sunday in March drawing many of the regions locals.

[edit] Sport

Tatura has many sporting facilities located around town, including Australian Rules football ovals, Soccer fields, Cricket pitches, Tennis courts, Lawn Bowls greens, a Multipurpose Indoor Stadium and the 18-hole Golf course of the Hilltop Golf Club^[5]. The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Goulburn Valley Football League, the Tatura Bulldogs.^[6].

Tatura has a horse racing club, the Tatura & Shepparton Racing Club, which schedules around eight race meetings a year including the Tatura Cup meeting in March or April.^[7]

[edit] Education

Tatura has three primary schools serving both the town and surrounding areas including Byrneside. Tatura Primary School is a Public School located south of the town's main street whilst Sacred Heart School and Bethel Christian College are both private schools located on the main street. Due to Tatura not having a secondary college most student opt to study at the surrounding Mooroopna Secondary College, Notre Dame College, Shepparton, Goulburn Valley Grammar School, Wanganui Park Secondary College, Shepparton High School or McGuire Secondary College.

Tatura is also located 20 minutes from La Trobe University Shepparton Campus as well as the Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE which both offer a range of tertiary and TAFE courses to the Goulburn Valley.

[edit] Media

This section requires expansion.

In Tatura, two notable print publications are produced, the Tatura Guardian is released weekly, and the Tatura Bulletin is released monthly.

[edit] Surrounding Towns/Area

• Mooroopna
• Murchison
• Toolamba
• Shepparton
• Kyabram

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tatura, Victoria

• City of Greater Shepparton
• Tatura Walkabout Page
• Cussen Park
• Wartime Camps and Irrigation Museum
• Tatura Milk Industries
• Goulburn-Murray Water
• Tatura German Military Cemetery
• Unilever

[edit] References

v • d • e Towns in the City of Greater Shepparton Arcadia • Congupna • Dookie • Grahamvale • Katandra West • Kialla • Lancaster • Lemnos • Merrigum • Mooroopna • Murchison • Orrvale • Shepparton • Shepparton East • Tallygaroopna • Tatura • Toolamba • Undera •