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 established the Survivor Support and Recognition Fund to help acknowledge these people.
In May 2026, Minister Erica Stanford announced(external link) Christchurch City Council had been awarded $121,500 from the fund to create a memorial at Sydenham Cemetery.
