mmg.com.au

A plan is being proposed to link Tatura with three others towns through a World War II Internment Camp tourism trail.

The idea has been generated by members of the Loveday Internment Camp Museum, based at Barmera in the South Australian Riverland.

Tatura Museum volunteer and internment camp researcher Lurline Knee said the proposed trail would be a great benefit to Tatura.

‘‘It is only a proposal at the moment but providing a link between the sites would help to promote each one and encourage people to visit other places,’’ Mrs Knee said.

Researchers from the Loveday committee visited Tatura in January after receiving funding to tour former internment camp sites from their local council in Barmera.

Mrs Knee said the researchers want to establish a museum to remember the camp in their area and feel linking sites around the country would be beneficial to all.

‘‘They also visited Hay and Cowra in NSW, as well as the former internment camp sites in the Goulburn Valley during their tour,’’ she said.

The committee behind the proposal is hoping to obtain government support for the idea at both federal and state level.

During World War II seven camps were built in a triangle between Tatura, Murchison and Rushworth.

Some housed prisoners of war from Germany, Italy and Japan while others were used for families of people deemed to be a security risk due to their nationality.

Up to 15000 people were originally expected to occupy the camps but local records show the number peaked at around 8500 as U-boat attacks limited the number of ships sent to Australia.