A headstone was installed at the cemetery last month which marked an area for stillborn children.
Former Mataura Economic Development Company (Medco) member Pam Lafferty said the headstone was an idea of Medco members before the company disbanded.
It had taken about 20 years to get the headstone installed, she said.
"It’s an area for stillborn babies so they can have their own separate area [in the cemetery]."
The statue used in the headstone had been sitting dormant at her home until Mataura community board member Laurel Turnbull found it.
In 2007, Ms Turnbull and then Mataura resident Joan Wairepo had discussed the idea of the headstone.
However Ms Waierpo moved to Christchurch and said she would leave the statue at Ms Turnbull’s home but it never turned up, Ms Turnbull said.
When Ms Turnbull was elected back on to the board in 2022 the idea came back to life, she said.
"I started looking for the statue and I finally found it at Pam’s," she said.
"That’s where it all started again."
It had been a good feeling to finally get the headstone installed, she said.
"For a long time unborn babies have just been buried in a place and nobody knew where they were or had any identification for them.
"So this is great for people who have lost little ones and with this statue here it identifies where they are and gives them a bit of dignity rather than just being in an unmarked grave."
The headstone had the phrase "May you always have an angel by your side" engraved on its front.
It was installed by Hayden Stephen of Monumental Masons Design.
