In 1925, a determined young woman from Southland stepped off the train at Hamilton Railway Station and, without knowing it, changed the course of private healthcare in the Waikato forever.
Her name was Frances Young.
Soon after arriving in Hamilton, Frances purchased a small maternity home and renamed it Braemar. It was a bold move — establishing a private hospital in the 1920s was no small feat. Frances navigated layers of regulation, health authorities and official approvals with the courage and tenacity that would come to define both her legacy and the organisation she built. Approval was granted. Braemar Private Hospital had arrived.
What Frances created from those modest beginnings was something remarkable: not just a hospital, but a philosophy. A belief that private healthcare should be compassionate, accessible and community-minded. One hundred years later, that belief is still very much alive.
“She’s somebody who really stamped her mark from day one. She made a huge decision to buy a hospital and run a hospital. She made a huge decision to challenge the hierarchy,” says Fiona Michel, Braemar Hospital’s Chief Executive.
Frances Young was a woman who met the challenges of her time with resilience and compassion — not only saving lives but making lives better. It’s a phrase that has echoed through every decade of Braemar’s story, and one we carry proudly into our centenary year.
She is not lost to our memory. We see her, we recognise her, and we thank her for everything she gave to this remarkable organisation.
Episode One: Frances Young is the first in a seven-part centenary film series celebrating 100 years of Braemar Hospital. Watch this chapter here and stay tuned each month to explore the story of our people, our milestones, and our future on this page throughout 2026.
