Council is investigating establishing a memorial for former Sunnyside Hospital patients who were buried in unmarked graves.
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Sunnyside Hospital was the first mental asylum to be built in Christchurch. It was closed in 1999 and has since been torn down.
A Royal Commission of Inquiry, established in 2018, identified that many Sunnyside Hospital patients were buried in Sydenham Cemetery in unmarked graves.
This practice occurred from the late 1890s to the 1980s.
The map below shows the areas that include unmarked Sunnyside Hospital burials in Sydenham Cemetery.
The full number of unmarked graves in Sydenham is currently unknown, but is estimated to be in excess of 1000.
People who believe they may have a relative in an unmarked grave can contact the Council, and staff will assist in finding their location.
The Royal Commission on Abuse in Care, established in 2018, identified that many people who had historically died in psychiatric care had been buried in unmarked plots.
In response to the Royal Commission’s 2024 recommendations, the government has set up a fund to help acknowledge these people.
Council aims to access this funding to acknowledge these persons in a manner that reflects the wishes of the affected families in the cemetery.
Christchurch City Council is hoping to connect with family members of the hundreds of Sunnyside Hospital patients who died in care and were buried in unmarked graves.
Council would like to engage with the relatives of those buried in unmarked graves to establish their views in regards to acknowledging their family member.
Please contact amy.glass@ccc.govt.nz for more information regarding the proposed memorial or for assistance in locating a family member.