Tatura

Tatura is a town in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria, Australia, and is situated within the City of Greater Shepparton local government area, 167 kilometres (104 mi) North of the state capital (Melbourne) and 18 kilometres (11 mi) West of the regional centre of Shepparton. At the 2016 census, Tatura had a population of 4,669.[1]

For the gossamer-winged butterfly genus, see Hypolycaena.

Tatura
Victoria
Main street
Tatura
Coordinates36°26′0″S 145°14′0″E
Population4,669 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)3616
Elevation114 m (374 ft)
Location
LGA(s)City of Greater Shepparton
State electorate(s)Shepparton
Federal Division(s)Nicholls
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
21.3 °C
70 °F		 8.3 °C
47 °F		 474.1 mm
18.7 in

With a large corporate and manufacturing presence within the town, Tatura is a major employer within the Goulburn Valley. Organisations include Tatura Milk Industries, Goulburn-Murray Water's corporate headquarters, Jacobs Engineering Group, Department of Environment and Primary Industries (Victoria), as well as major regional processing plants for multinational corporations such as Unilever and Snow Brand Milk Products.

Attractions include the Cussen Park wetlands, the Wartime Camps, an effluent pond just off the main street and Irrigation Museum.

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

History

The Post Office opened on 1 February 1875.[2]

The Tatura Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1990.[3]

World War II internment camps

Several internment camps were set up around Tatura, Rushworth and Murchison (Dhurringile) during World War II. Four of these were for civilians, and three were for prisoners of war. Between 1940 and 1947, there were 10,000 to 13,000 people in the camps at different times.

Before the war, Britain was home to around 73,000 Germans, who had left Germany due to the rising tensions and the rise of the Nazi regime in the country. Many of these were also young male Germans who had been in schools in Britain before the outbreak of WWII. It was believed that many of these refugees were spies, and they were shipped out of the country, predominantly to Australia (on the HMT Dunera) and Canada.

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. After arriving in Australia on 25 August 1941, the Templer's established themselves in Camp 3 in Tatura. Because of their previous internment during World War I, they were experienced in living in those conditions, and established a school and a kindergarten, as well as developing work routines to prevent depression. After the War, the majority of Templer families remained in Australia.

In 1941, Major Julian Layton arrived from England on a mission. Layton, a Jew like many of the Dunera internees, 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 internees were released.

Among the more notable internees were the crew of the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran, taken prisoner following the battle between HMAS Sydney and the Kormoran. There were also German detainees from the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.

The Tatura German Military Cemetery (36.4304°S 145.2055°E / -36.4304; 145.2055) is the final resting place of 351 German civilians and servicemen who died during internment in World War I and World War II.

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.

Food

Tatura Hot Bread 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 region's locals.

Sport

Tatura has many sporting facilities located within the 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 is home to the Tatura Racecourse Reserve, where the Tatura & Shepparton Racing Club Inc hosts a minimum of three full TAB race meetings each season, including the iconic Italian Plate Festival in December - a celebration of the local Italian community and culture - and the Tatura Easter Cup. The Cup day also features the Mark Goring Memorial race, honouring jockey Mark Goring who died of injuries sustained in a fall at the Tatura track in 2003.[7][8]

As well as a Western & Quarter Horse arena and Club rooms, the Reserve is an operational Thoroughbred training facility, with grass and sand track, and swimming facilities as well as practice barriers and jumps schooling course. Currently 20 Racing Victoria-licensed trainers are registered to the Tatura Racecourse. In addition to race meetings, the club also runs regular official trials and jumpouts (unbroadcast trials).[9]

Education

Tatura has two primary schools serving both the town and surrounding areas: Tatura Primary School is a public school located South of the town centre, whilst Sacred Heart School is a private school located on the town's main street.

Due to Tatura's close proximity to Shepparton secondary education options include Notre Dame College, Shepparton, Wanganui Park Secondary College, Goulburn Valley Grammar School, Mooroopna Secondary College, Shepparton High School, and McGuire Secondary College.

Tatura is 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 for the Goulburn Valley.

Media

The main print publications distributed within Tatura include the daily Shepparton News, the Tatura Guardian (released weekly), and the Tatura Bulletin (released monthly).

Media related to Tatura, Victoria at Wikimedia Commons

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Tatura (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  2. Premier Postal History, Post Office List, retrieved 11 April 2008
  3. "Review of Legal Services in Rural and Regional Victoria" (PDF). Parliament of Victoria Law Reform Committee. May 2001. pp. 291–292. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  4. The Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph
  5. Golf Select, Hill Top, retrieved 11 May 2009
  6. Full Points Footy, Tatura, archived from the original on 5 July 2008, retrieved 25 July 2008
  7. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/01/13/1041990231375.html
  8. Country Racing Victoria, Tatura & Shepparton Racing Club, archived from the original on 19 October 2007, retrieved 7 May 2009
  9. http://www.countryracing.com.au/tatura-shepparton-racing-club
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