GENERAL HISTORY OF TATURA

Located about 17km from Shepparton, Tatura is a rural township with an extensive wartime history involving the seven internee and prisoner of war camps from World War 2 located in the area. These camps are considered to be of significant historical importance for the district.

The Tatura World War 2 Wartime Camps & Irrigation Museum contains photographs, memorabilia, artefacts made in the camp, intelligence reports, records, newspaper articles and books relating to the seven internee and prisoner of war camps in the Tatura area during World War 2.  This collection of archival records and memorabilia is housed in two large extensions to the original building, which was the first office of the Rodney Irrigation Trust, established in 1888.  This building contains the history of irrigation in the western Goulburn Valley as well as local history.

The introduction of an extensive irrigation project has meant that the district is rich and fertile and has many local agricultural industries. The Institute of Sustainable Irrigated Agriculture, which is the state's major centre for research into irrigation management related issue, is located in Tatura.

The township of Tatura  has a population of 3533, however the true figure is believed to be close to 4400. 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.

SCHOOLS  & 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 students opt to study at the surrounding Mooroopna Secondary College, or one of Shepparton's schools, Notre Dame College, 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.

ATTRACTIONS

Attractions include the Cussen Park wetlands,a swimming pool, a recreation reserve and caravan park, a showground, a hospital annex, the Victory Hall, and a substantial shopping centre. The 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.

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. The town has an Australian rules football team competing in the Goulburn Valley Football League, the Tatura Bulldogs.

Generations Church is a part of this great community and we would like to ask you to come and visit us and the township of Tatura.