IN the main street of Tatura, right across the road from the top pub, is the Tatura Irrigation and Wartime Camps Museum. A hidden gem, the museum is full of rich history and one could spend hours in there poring over artefacts from a bygone era.
‘Camp 1’ in Tatura was the first of a number of purpose-built camps that were established throughout Australia to house prisoners of war during World War II. The internment camps continue to serve as a powerful example of how everyday citizens can be implicated in the pursuit of robust national security during wartime.
The circumstances that brought most internees to the camps were through no fault of their own, and despite experiencing hardship, they found ways to bring meaning and enjoyment to their daily lives. Internees established their own study classes and theatre groups and undertook a range of activities such as gardening, clothes making, furniture and toy making, as well as organising a range of regular sports. Numbers of internees volunteered to work on local farms to help with the labour shortage.
The museum is filled with the prisoner’s creations such as costumes, beautiful hand-made clothes, sculptures, paintings, drawings, intricate hand-made toys and so much more.
Also of interest is local family history, the museum is working on building up their display of local families’ memorabilia, so please drop in or give them a call if you have anything of interest.
Tatura Museum has many visitors from afar but they would love to see more people from across the Goulburn Valley pay a visit and soak in the rich history on display at the site.
It is open on weekends and public holidays from 2pm – 4 pm and from Monday to Friday from 1pm – 3 pm. Please give them a call on 5824 2111 for further enquires.
