Several internment camps were set up around Tatura, Rushworth and Murchison 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 and Canada. In 1941, GermanTemplers 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 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 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. 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. The town has an Australian Rulesfootball team competing in the Goulburn Valley Football League, the Tatura Bulldogs. 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. 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.
