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,however the true figure is believed to be close to 4,400.

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".

History

The Post Office opened on 1 February 1875.

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.

Agriculture

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

Sport

The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Goulburn Valley Football League..

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.

Golfers play at the course of the Hill Top Golf and Country Club on Gowrie Street.

Education

Tatura has two schools serving both the town and surrounding areas including Byrneside. Tatura Primary School is located south of the town's main street whilst Sacred Heart School is situated when entering the town if travelling from Melbourne. Due to Tatura not having a secondary college students have the option of attending either Mooroopna Secondary College, Notre Dame College, Shepparton, Goulburn Valley Grammar School, Wanganui Park Secondary College, Shepparton High School or Mc Guire Secondary College which is located in Shepparton's South. Tatura students are transported to their secondary college by buses which can be caught from various points within the town.

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.

Surrounding Towns/Area

Mooroopna
Murchison
Toolamba
Shepparton
Kyabram