Abstract: The original purpose of this work was to put some notes together about nurse training at Sunnyside for the hospitals 150th anniversary celebrations. When the celebrations were cancelled, the author continued with the project out of personal interest.A variety of historical research methods were used to collect data for the project. These included a literature search of historical publications related to the subject and the period; gathering documents and statistical records from a variety of sources; writing letters to previous students and tutors, requesting photographs anecdotes and opinions; and a number of prearranged interviews.The resultant brief history, published finally in 1992 is a collection of records, anecdotes, reproduced documents and photographs, interspersed with referenced information from the literature and the writers comments.Past and present staff of this once large psychiatric institution have been able to look at their training in a historical and social context, and in many cases, to see their names in print in the class lists. Others who are undertaking a historical study of Mental Health Nursing in New Zealand may find it useful as a reference work