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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.

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 Christchurch, many who died in the former Sunnyside Hospital between the 1890s and the 1980s were interred in Sydenham Cemetery.  The full number of unmarked graves in Sydenham is currently unknown but is estimated to be in excess of 1000. 

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.

Manager Community Parks Al Hardy says 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.

“We appreciate this is a sensitive matter and may be difficult for relatives of those buried in unmarked graves, but ultimately we aim to acknowledge these individuals and their lives in a meaningful way.”

Mr Hardy says people who believe they may have a relative in an unmarked grave can also contact Council and staff will assist in finding their location.

Please contact amy.glass@ccc.govt.nz for more information regarding the proposed memorial or for assistance in locating a family member.