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Character Profiles > Stephanie Scully Carla Bonner

Stephanie Jo Scully Hoyland 1999-
Lived: 22, 26, 32 Ramsay Street
Marital Status: Max Hoyland (2004-2007; divorced)
Parents: Joe and Lyn Scully
Siblings: Jack, Felicity, Michelle and Oscar
Children: Charlie
Occupation: Courier, Barmaid, Moco Manager, Mechanic, Charlie's Bar Owner, Councillor

Tomboy Stephanie Scully was born in 1979, the eldest child of Joe and Lyn Scully. From an early age, Steph inherited a love of motorbikes from her grandfather, Henry, and loved all kinds of sports, especially cricket and grand prix. As a result, Steph was always more likely to be found in the company of her father, or younger brother Jack as opposed to spending time with Lyn or her sisters, Flick and Michelle.

After completing her HSC, Steph started work for Moco, a spare car parts wholesaler, dividing her duties between working in the office and more regularly, on the road making deliveries. When the Scully family moved to the neighbouring suburb of Erinsborough in 1999, Steph was able to keep on her job at Moco, since it was near enough for her to commute. Moving to Ramsay Street also helped Steph get over her failed relationship with Larry 'Woody' Woodhouse, who had recently been jailed for participating in an armed robbery.

The three Scully sisters immediately turned the heads of the men of Ramsay Street, with Toadie Rebecchi and Lance Wilkinson instantly falling for Steph upon her arrival. However, only one resident interested Steph, and that was Drew Kirk, who lived across at No. 22. Drew was everything Steph wanted in a man - he was good looking, athletic, into sports and had a love for cars and bikes just like Steph. The only problem was the fact that Drew was head over heels in love with Libby Kennedy, who lived next door to Steph on Ramsay Street. Steph and Libby soon became good friends, thus leading to a friendship also developing between Steph and Drew - but Steph could never admit to Libby the feelings she had for Drew, especially after they became engaged.

Meanwhile, Steph proved to be of enormous support to Lance in the wake of his ex-girlfriend Amy Greenwood's departure, and she accepted an invitation from him to be his partner at The Horticulture Ball at Lassiter's Hotel. However, after Steph remembered she had arranged to go to the footy with her biker mates on the same night, she cancelled on Lance. But after seeing how upset he was, Steph decided to forgo the footy and told Lance she would be delighted to go with him to the ball. Lance was in awe of how fantastic Stephanie looked when he arrived at the Scully house to collect her, and the pair had a wonderful night at the ball, only hindered by Lance ripping his tux pants at the end of the night. The ball had made Lance realise that he was starting to fall for Steph, but at the same time, Toadie - who shared No. 30 with Lance - also began to develop feelings for Steph, after she did a stint on his radio show.

The two men began a quest to win Steph's affections, and when they heard her 21st birthday was approaching, asked Michelle for some advice on what they should get Steph. Michelle decided to have some fun at their expense, and led them to believe that Steph had an obsession with collecting glass blown animals. Although surprised by this revelation about Steph, both Lance and Toadie set about buying her some ornamental animals for her birthday. But after presenting their gifts to Steph at her 21st birthday barbecue, they knew by Steph's bemused expression that they had been set up. However, their anger soon turned to jealousy when Steph appeared more interested in her biker mates. Nonetheless, Lance and Toadie pressed on with their competition to win her over, with Lance enlisting Steph's help in his campaign for student council and Toadie getting her involved in fixing the engine on his car. It was only when Steph brought the guys bowling with her and her mate, Kate, that she realised they were attracted to her. Steph then began to worry about the predicament she had found herself in, and was left speechless when Toadie accidentally blurted out that he loved her. He quickly covered it up by dismissing it as a joke, and Steph's reaction made Toadie realise there would never be any chance of a relationship between them. Making Lance realise there was no hope of a romance proved more difficult, and Steph was forced to turn down an piece of jewellery Lance had brought her back from a trip to Darwin, before telling him out straight that they could never be anything other than friends.

As Libby and Drew's wedding approached, Steph and Libby went on a camping trip, where Steph was honoured when Libby asked her to be bridesmaid for her. But tragedy struck as the girls returned to Erinsborough on Steph's motorbike when Brendan Bell - the abusive estranged husband of their friend Tess - ploughed into the girls in a fit of rage, knocking both the girls off the bike. Brendan died in the accident, and Steph escaped with only torn ligaments. But Libby was left in a critical condition, causing Steph to blame herself for what had happened. Libby's father, Karl assured Steph that it was not her fault, and Steph breathed a sigh of relief when Libby recovered. But after the discovery that Libby would probably never have children as a result of the accident, Steph became extremely depressed, and began having nightmares about the crash. Tess became concerned about Steph's frame of mind when she caught her throwing out her leathers, and Steph announced that her biking days were over. At the same time, Libby made some life changing decisions in the wake of the crash - most notably dumping Drew, due to her belief that he wouldn't want to marry her now that she couldn't conceive. Steph and Libby had a major argument over Libby's decision, with Steph telling Libby she was being stupid and ruining Drew's life. But Libby insisted it was none of Steph's business, promoting Steph to take Drew's side in the break-up.

Steph and Drew became much closer in the months after the accident and its aftermath, and slowly fell deeper in love with him. But Steph still knew Drew only had eyes for Libby and started trying to avoid Drew in the hope of getting over him. When little Lolly Carpenter invited Steph to join her and Drew for a fairy party in the fairy house Drew had built for her, Steph turned down the offer, claiming she was going out with some mates. But Drew caught her playing scrabble with Toadie when he called over to No. 30, and Steph was saved by Toadie who covered for her by saying they were just about to join Joel and Lance for drinks. Afterwards, Toadie confronted Steph about her feelings for Drew and she admitted that she was in love with him. Lyn also began to realise that Steph had feelings for Drew, and when Steph made plans to go away for a weekend in the countryside with Drew, both Lyn and Toadie tried to talk her out of going. Steph ignored their warnings and went with Drew, confident that the trip would provide her with a chance to admit her true feelings to Drew. Steph was devastated, however, when Drew confessed he was still in love with Libby just as she was about to admit that she was in love with him. The next morning, Steph told Drew she felt ill and was going to catch a bus home. But Drew insisted he drop her home himself, making Steph feel even worse for cutting his holiday short. Lyn consoled Steph as she struggled to come to terms with what had happened, and she urged Steph to try distancing herself from Drew.

A brief spell dating teacher Daniel Fitzgerald failed to change how Steph felt about Drew, however, and when she heard that Drew was thinking about leaving Erinsborough to return to his home town of Oakey, Steph resolved to tell him how she felt before he left. Despite Toadie's attempts at talking her out if it, Steph went to see Drew at his garage one afternoon to tell him she loved him. But she was interrupted at the last minute, and opted out of confessing all. But when Drew mentioned to Toadie that Steph had been to see him at the garage, Toadie mistakenly thought that Drew now knew about Steph's feelings for him, and stunned Drew when he asked him how he felt about Steph being in love with him. When Drew confronted Steph about his discovery, she decided to be honest with him and admitted that she was in love with him and was miserable over it. Drew told Steph that he was still madly in love with Libby but was flattered by her feelings for him. Drew's rejection prompted Steph to put her own feelings aside and confront Libby about her feelings for Drew. Steph stormed over to the Kennedy house and told Libby she was being foolish to let Drew go back to Oakey when she was still in love with him. Steph's outburst finally made Libby realise she was still in love with Drew, and the couple finally renewed their engagement.

Unable to deal with being bridesmaid at the wedding, Steph told Libby that she wouldn't be around for the ceremony because she was planning to tour Australia on her bike. But when Drew pleaded with Steph to reconsider her decision for Libby's sake, she reluctantly agreed. However, Steph was determined not to be around for the big day, and when she heard about a job at a spare parts outlet in West Newbury, she decided to apply in the hope of getting out of Erinsborough. Lyn urged Steph not to run away because of her love for Drew, and pleaded with her to reconsider. But Steph insisted that her decision wasn't purely based on Drew, since she was recently having a lot of problems with her new boss at Moco - the owner's sister, Bev. After a massive run-in with Bev, Steph finally had enough and quit. But Steph's relief at telling Bev where to stick her job soon turned to disappointment when she was told that she didn't get the job in West Newbury, meaning she faced the prospect of trying to find a new job and staying in Erinsborough for the wedding.

Events came to a head when Drew told Libby about Steph's feelings for him. Despite Steph assuring Libby that she would never do anything to jeopardise her relationship with Drew, the atmosphere between the two friends became so awkward, they both agreed it would be best if Steph wasn't bridesmaid after all.

Around this time, Steph received a letter, but was unwilling to reveal the content to Lyn. A few days later, a phone call revealed that Woody, Steph's ex, had got back in touch ' and that he was in prison. Steph's parents had often wondered what had driven Steph and Woody apart all those years ago, but had no idea that he'd been sent to prison for receiving stolen goods. After visiting him a few times in prison, it became clear that Steph was getting involved in something unsavoury, as Woody shared glances with Kev Kelly, one of the more influential prisoners.

Steph revealed the truth about Woody first to Flick, who had already sensed her sister was up to something. Not long after, Libby was at the prison, interviewing Kev Kelly for the newspaper, when she bumped into Steph. Steph realised she'd have to tell her family before someone else did, and when Woody asked her to sponsor him on a day release, she realised the time had come. She was relieved when her parents didn't fly off the handle, but while they realised Woody was a good guy who'd simply made one mistake, they were still not entirely comfortable with Steph seeing Woody.

When Woody arrived on his day release, he quickly took off on Steph's bike on the pretext of visiting his mother in a neighbouring suburb. When he returned, he had a bag full of jewels, having agreed to look after them for jewel thief, Kev Kelly. Realising that this could lead to an even longer sentence for Woody, not to mention implicating herself, Steph talked Woody into going to the police and admitting what he'd done. This resulted in some terrifying experiences for Steph, as she was threatened by a man in the pub and heard that Woody had been beaten up in prison and hospitalised. Steph visited him and he felt guilty for what he had put her through, but he later agreed to testify against Kev Kelly in court.

Steph and Libby, meanwhile, made up just in time for Steph to be bridesmaid at the wedding. Steph remained subdued throughout the ceremony and reception, wondering about what could have been with Drew. She even caught the bouquet, giving her some hope for future romance.

Steph was put in a dilemma at work when she was forced to sack one of the workers in order to cut costs. She spent weeks deliberating over the situation, feeling as though she was out of her depth in such situations. When she finally did decide who to let go, a man named Steve, he told her he was leaving to work for a rival company.

Meanwhile, Woody's release date arrived and Steph agreed to let him stay at Number 26, but first she had to broach the subject with her family. They agreed that this would be a difficult time for him and that he needed some support, so they let him stay. As soon as he arrived, however, the Scullys got a brick through their window and received threats. The police agreed to give them protection, but it was decided that Woody would have to leave town to go on a witness protection scheme, as there was no other way his and the Scullys safety could be guaranteed. He asked Steph to go with him and she was forced to decide with her family and her first love. She changed her mind regularly, at one point devastating her family by deciding she must leave and never see them again. Ultimately though, she realised she couldn't do that and bid Woody a tearful farewell, realising she would never see him again.

However, Steph couldn't get Woody out of her head, and a postcard from him set her thinking about tracking him down. She began making mysterious trips to see 'Stanno' and Lyn's suspicions were aroused when 'Stanno' called during one of Steph's trips to see him. Lyn quickly worked out what Steph had been up to and begged her to stop. Maggie Hancock warned Steph she could face a jail sentence for breaking the terms of the witness protection scheme. However, Steph continued to visit Woody until on one occasion, she noticed she was being followed. She managed to dump her bike and run through the woods, losing the man in the process. Steph was severely shaken by this experience, realising these men were trying to find Woody and prevent him from testifying at Kev Kelly's upcoming trial.

Steph realised she couldn't bear to be without Woody and made plans to go and live with him. However, Woody had other ideas and arrived in Erinsborough one night to see Steph. He explained to Steph about a stash of money from a bank robbery years ago that his old cellmate had told him about. They collected the money but Steph had misgivings about the whole idea. Woody insisted that the bank was insured and the whole thing had happened years ago. They decided to just vanish and make a new life. Steph was heartbroken to be leaving her family behind but they assisted with the escape, knowing full well that they could be being watched.

After they'd been driving for a while, they stopped at a service station for refuelling. Woody took the opportunity to propose and Steph happily accepted. However, while she was inside buying provisions, a man jumped into the car with Woody and forced him to drive. As Steph left the shop, she saw Woody speeding off. At first she thought he was messing about, but she quickly realised it was serious and began to chase the car. As she ran up to a hill, she heard the car crash and witnessed it burst into flames. Steph collapsed in tears as a passer-by prevented her from trying to pull Woody out.

After enduring questions from the police and a memorial service, Steph tried to repair her life. Going back to work at Moco, Steph was forced to sack recent employee Matt Hancock after he made one mistake too many. She finally managed to smile again when she and Drew took their car out on the race track.

Over the following months, Steph began to receive mysterious deposits into her bank account. She also met a mysterious man in the pub - a man who knew her name. It turned out that Mitch Foster had known Woody in prison. Steph and Mitch struck up a close friendship, sharing memories of Woody, and it became obvious that he had feelings for her. After sharing a kiss, Steph and Mitch began seeing each other. Lyn confronted her daughter, asking whether she was simply using Mitch as a way to stay close to Woody. Steph insisted this wasn't the case and the two of them made plans to go away together for the weekend. However, just as they were preparing to leave, there was a knock at the door. Steph was astonished to find Woody standing there.

Woody explained that Kev Kelly was dead and they were safe to be together again. He also had a confrontation with Mitch - and revealed to Steph that Mitch had killed someone when he started a fire for an insurance scam. Woody revealed that he'd been the one putting the money into Steph's account and had been on the run after being thrown clear of the explosion unscathed. He hadn't got in touch because he didn't want to put Steph's life in danger again, but the money in her account would have eventually revealed his birth date. Woody had one last surprise in store for Steph ' he proposed. Steph was suddenly put in an extremely complicated situation, but she eventually managed to make a decision.

Telling Mitch and Woody that she didn't want to be with either of them, she sent them both packing and attempted to forget the past. Later that day, she broke down in her father's arms and admitted there was only one man she truly loved - Drew.

One day, not long after, Steph was at Lassiters car park when a man in a suit accused her of stealing his space. Typically, Steph didn't stand for it and when she later bumped into him in the coffee shop, she made her feelings towards him clear. Unfortunately, she also picked up his phone by accident. The young man, Marc Lambert, felt that fate was trying to tell them something and so he asked Steph out on a date. However, Steph had already taken a strong dislike to Marc the 'suit', and turned him down. Steph was horrified when, a few days later, Marc arrived at Moco. She thought he was essentially stalking her and told him to get lost. However, she quickly realised the error of her ways when she ran into Marc again at Carpenter's Mechanics. She found out that Marc was the new assistant manager at Lassiters and that he was simply checking out the local businesses hoping to be able to drum up some trade for them. Steph quickly backtracked, suggesting that they go out on a date after all. Marc left her hanging on for a while, but Steph got a big surprise when she arrived to do a delivery and found Marc waiting with a picnic.

The romance moved quickly from there, with the couple taking a trip to Hong Kong and Steph finally seemed to have found someone who wasn't married or an ex-con. Still, Steph was amazed when, after only a few weeks of dating, Marc proposed to her. Desperate to move on from the unhappy relationships of her past, Steph gladly accepted. Meanwhile, her sister, Flick, scored a job at Lassiters and also hit it off with Marc.

When the Scullys met Marc's parents, John and Chloe, relations were strained. Chloe felt that Marc was being too impulsive and warned Steph that she may get hurt. It became obvious that Chloe didn't want the wedding to go ahead and didn't really approve of Marc marrying into the Scully family. After several heated confrontations, Steph finally managed to convince Chloe that she could be good for Marc and Chloe offered the couple her blessing.

Steph began to make plans for her future with Marc. She started looking at houses for them and even mentioned a mortgage, something Marc laughed off, leaving Steph slightly unsettled. But things were finally looking up for Steph, when she made a shocking discovery - she was pregnant. She confided in her friends and Flick, who was attempting to control her feelings for her future brother-in-law. When she eventually told Marc, he was fairly stunned and tried his best to convince Steph that he was pleased about it.

Steph and her friends went away for her hen weekend, where Connor O'Neill acted as an impromptu stripper. Flick seemed subdued throughout the whole thing. Then, with only hours to go before the wedding, Steph made another discovery ' she wasn't pregnant after all. As she broke this news to Marc, she didn't think it would make too much difference, if anything, he seemed relieved.

As the wedding day finally dawned, Steph finally felt like things were going to work out for her. After frantically getting ready, Steph shared a glass of champagne with her sisters and friends and they all headed down to the ceremony, held by Lassiters lake. Everything seemed perfect as Joe walked Steph up the aisle, but once the vows began, Marc started to stumble over his words and Joe took him aside to find out what was wrong. Just as Steph appeared, Marc glanced in the direction of Felicity and Steph suddenly realised the horrible truth. As Flick ran off, Marc tried to apologise to Steph, but she simply runs away too, after Flick.

After spending some time walking alone, Steph headed back to Ramsay Street to confront her sister. Finding her at number 30 with Marc, she ran out of the house in shock. Flick and Marc followed her into the street and an argument between the two sisters ensued. Steph accused Flick of being unable to see anyone else happy, of being low and selfish. Desperate for answers, Steph wanted to know why Flick would get involved with her own sister's fiance. Flick escaped in a taxi, eventually ending up in Sydney. Meanwhile, unable to face any more, Steph ran into number 26 and to the bathroom where she collapsed in tears and threw the hair pin that Flick gave her into the bath.

Over the following weeks, Steph attempted to sort her life out. She decided to put some space between herself and her family, going to stay with Libby and Drew at Number 22. Flick returned from Sydney, begging for forgiveness, but Steph told her she was no longer her sister. A confrontation with Marc followed, during which Steph slapped him and returned his ring. Steph was disgusted to learn a few weeks later that Flick and Marc had begun a relationship, leaving Steph even more determined not to speak to her sister.

Steph was relieved when Flick left to tour the USA with Tad for a few months, giving her some breathing space. She struck up a friendship with Stuart Parker, someone who had been very close to Flick over the past few months. The two of them played pool together and she even pulled a sickie at work so they could go fishing together. Despite both of them only wanting friendship from the other, they did share a kiss, which surprised them both. They chose not to mention it again.

Steph was in for a nasty surprise when Mitch Foster returned to Erinsborough. He first turned up at the hospital where Dee treated him, then quickly went to find Steph in Ramsay Street. He begged for her help, having been mysteriously injured, and Steph let him stay at Number 22, much to Libby and Drew's horror. Reading about an armed robbery in the paper, Libby decided to report Mitch to the police. Meanwhile, Mitch went down to Moco and held the place up, telling Steph to give him all the money. He kissed her as he fled, something that was witnessed by Toadie and he was forced to tell the police when questioned. All the evidence seemed to point to Steph being in on the robbery and she was arrested, spending a night in a cell.

After being released, Steph confronted Libby over the police's involvement. They argued and Libby accused Steph of being an idiot for constantly falling for these no-good guys. At this point, Steph decided to move back into Number 26. Meanwhile, Mitch, Steph's only hope of proving her innocence, had disappeared. To make matters worse, Steph received a mysterious gift, a motorbike, with no idea where it came from. After remembering a place where Mitch used to 'go bush', Steph headed there where a mysterious man told her he hadn't seen Mitch or heard of him. Steph pleaded her case and a few days later the man phoned Steph with information. Stuart took Steph to the spot the man had detailed, where they found Mitch in a terrible state, his previous injuries having become infected. Despite his protests, Steph and Stuart got him to the hospital, where he was put under police guard. Unfortunately, he refused to help Steph, until Stuart managed to record him making incriminating statements. Mitch admitted to setting up Steph and the charges were dropped.

Steph's emotions were put to the test once again, as two major events rocked her life; the return of Flick and the death of Drew. When Flick suddenly arrived back, Steph was still very cold towards her. After a few too many icy moments, Flick confronted Steph and told her she wasn't going to run away anymore. This was a minor breakthrough, and later Steph bought Flick a drink in the pub.

Drew's sudden death sent the whole of Ramsay Street into shock. But while the Kennedys could grieve in public, Steph was forced to keep the strength of her feelings inside. Eventually, in an emotional outburst, Steph told Libby about her love for Drew. Libby forgave her, explaining that she was a true friend as she hadn't acted upon her feelings. This also triggered Steph to patch things up with Flick, as they realised how suddenly life can change. Steph also learnt that Flick and Stuart had been secretly seeing each other, not wanting to hurt her feelings, but Steph gave them her blessing.

Steph became close to Summer Hoyland from Number 32, giving her rides on her motorbike and acting like a big sister to her. This led to several run-ins with Summer's father, Max. Steph accused Max of being a bad parent after he shouted at Summer in the coffee shop, but quickly apologised and this led to Max asking Steph for parenting tips. As Steph and Max got to know each other, they realised they had a lot in common. Libby also noticed their budding friendship and ribbed Steph about her new man. Steph denied everything and, despite Summer's best efforts, they remained friends. Steph helped out Summer when she had to take part in a mother-daughter fashion parade, winning more approval from Max, who was obviously falling for her, buying her perfume as a thank you.

However, Boyd was not happy with his father spending time with another woman, seeing Steph as an unfit replacement for his mother. Steph spoke to him about his coldness towards her and they called a truce. Meanwhile, at the second wedding of Karl and Susan Kennedy, Max and Steph finally agreed to go out on a date.

After a misunderstanding where Steph thought Max had been joking, they finally arranged a date for the following evening. Steph waited around for a while and was about to leave when Max arrived and apologised for his lateness, explaining he'd had problems at home. However, the date was very awkward, and they decided that it might be easier if they just stayed as friends.

When Steph's friend, Joanne, took an interest in Max, Steph noticed that they had a lot more in common and decided to move on. Joanne arranged for Steph to go on a date with her nephew, Dennis, although he never showed up. When her grandmother died, Steph headed up to Queensland for the funeral and upon her return she found a very moving sympathy card from Max and the kids. She decided there and then to go over and reveal her true feelings to him. However, she found Joanne was already there. Jo asked Steph to give her and Max a bit of space and a humiliated Steph left, little knowing that Max was about to tell Jo that he wasn't interested in her.

Steph then decided to move on once and for all. She headed to the pub with Libby and decided to ask out the first guy she saw - unfortunately it was Darcy, so they changed the rules to the first stranger she saw. This was new barman, Alex Argenzio. He invited her to go diving with sharks and she reluctantly agreed. After the dive, they shared a kiss and she returned from the experience buzzing with excitement. Max could only watch on as she excitedly introduced Alex to her mum.

Not long after, Steph was backed into a corner by Michelle, who begged her to help when she and Connor ran away from immigration, who were planning to deport him. Connor convinced Steph to hand over his and Michelle's passports, promising Steph that they would return home, rather than go to New Zealand. Luckily, he kept his promise and a few days later, Michelle was home.

After being a couple for only a few weeks, Alex broke the news to Steph that he was going to pursue his dream of travelling around Australia. At first, Steph was put out that her new relationship was ending so soon, but then he decided to ask her to join him. After thinking the offer through, she decided to accept. Steph was surprised by the reaction of Summer to her relationship with Alex, as Summer told Steph their friendship was over. However, as Steph prepared to leave Ramsay Street, Summer presented her with a home-made frame containing a photo of the two of them. Libby asked her best friend if she really wanted to be going off with Alex, or if she1d rather be with someone a little closer to home.

Sadly for Steph, Max seemed to be putting up little resistance to her leaving. Even when she asked him if he knew of a reason for her not to leave town, he said nothing. Max could only stand and watch as Steph left Ramsay Street on her motorbike. After spending a few days camping, Steph and Alex decided to hire a canoe and spend some time on the water. Things seemed to be going smoothly, until they hit some rough water and the canoe capsized. After becoming trapped underwater, Steph managed to free herself, but found herself calling for Max as she reached the surface. When Steph learnt that Libby had taken up a teaching post nearby, Steph called in on her friend at her new cottage. Libby was confused by Steph's sudden arrival, without Alex, and asked her if she'd actually managed to stop thinking about a certain man for a second.

Steph realised what she had to do, and quickly headed back to Erinsborough, where she found Max putting out the garbage. He was amazed to see her, but quickly realised why she'd returned and they embraced. However, it wasn't all plain sailing, as Max and Steph faced negative opinions towards their relationship from both Lyn and Boyd. While Lyn made her feelings clear and relaxed when she realised her daughter knew what she was doing, Boyd was harder to work out. He pretended to have a migraine, spoiling a trip to the beach, then he made Steph promise not to spend the night away with Max when they went to the wineries. Although Steph agreed, Max lost his car keys and they were forced to spend the night in a motel, therefore Boyd was furious when they returned the next day.

However, after a telling off from Summer, Boyd started to make more of an effort. Meanwhile, Steph was surprised when Max casually mentioned loving her and tried to work out whether he had really meant it. After a few days of tip-toeing around the issue, she came clean and they declared their love for each other. Steph was pleased when the family went on a trip to the beach and Boyd tried to teach her to surf, realising that she was finally making some headway. Later though, she was shocked when Boyd confided that he wanted to go to boarding school as he was so unhappy at home. Max and Steph realised that they'd have to do something - Steph even bought a book on the subject as she was so worried.

However, Boyd's behaviour was to cause further problems when he stole Toadie's car from the garage and went for a joy-ride, resulting in him crashing it into a tree. Although Boyd was uninjured, it proved to be a turning point in his relationship with Steph and things became a lot easier for her with the Hoylands. Back at home, Steph helped Lou to track down Valda, who had taken off following Lyn's attack at the Kennedy house. However, little did Steph realise the problems that Valda's return was about to cause. Steph was shocked to find out that Valda was infact Lyn's real mother and she soon turned to Max for support during the confusing time. Soon after, Steph suffered an accident on her bike, witnessed by Max and the kids. Although she was fine, Max was very shaken and asked her to give up the bike, and also to move in with him. After a great deal of soul searching, Steph decided that her new family was worth the sacrifice and moved in.

After a few weeks of happiness, Steph suddenly found her life was falling apart. After having scored a job as Stuart’s new apprentice mechanic, she had only been working there a few days when she banged her arm. While rubbing her injury, she noticed a lump under her arm and began to worry. Although Karl assured her that it would be very rare for someone of her age to have cancer, Steph found herself unable to think of anything else. After a scan at the hospital, she was given the news that she would need to have a biopsy, to investigate some abnormal cells. In the midst of all this, Max’s sister Izzy had arrived in Erinsborough and moved into the Hoyland house. She immediately made Steph feel awkward in the house, so when Steph was given the news that she had breast cancer, the strain became unbearable.

Since Max’s first wife, Claire, had died, and Lyn was suffering from post-natal depression, Steph found herself turning to best friend Libby for support. She decided to finish things with Max and moved out suddenly, leaving Max and his kids confused and hurt. Steph also quit her job after Stuart refused her time off and she decided to stay with Libby, whose support she was finding invaluable throughout her ordeal. The day before going into hospital for her operation, Steph broke down and told her brother, Jack, about her cancer and he was shocked, but immediately supportive. With Libby and Jack’s support, Steph went into hospital for her operation, telling her parents that she was going to visit Stanno for a few days. Steph was informed that after the operation she would need courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and there was a small chance that she may end up infertile. While the operation was a complete success, Steph remained extremely negative about her future and Jack was stunned when his sister announced that she had decided not to have the course of chemotherapy.

Things quickly changed for Steph when she was out riding her bike one day and happened upon a car accident. Finding a young girl trapped in the car, Steph held her hand and told her not to give up. After this incident, Steph realised that she should take her own advice and fight for her life. Steph still found it difficult to tell her parents the truth, but eventually realised that Jack was under too much pressure and she told them. With their support, she went for her first course of chemotherapy, but didn’t realise that Max was also at the hospital with Boyd, who had glass in his eye after smashing up Steph’s headlamps. When Max appeared at the door to her hospital room, Steph was stunned and even when he told her he’d stay by her no matter what, she was still reluctant. However, as Max’s support continued, Steph realised that she couldn’t cope without him and the pair were reunited. But as her treatment continued, Steph began to lose confidence in herself and her appearance, her hair began falling out and she started to cover herself up in thick jumpers. Despite Max trying to keep her spirits up, Steph still pushed him away, preferring to spend time alone…

As time went on, things began to return to some kind of normality for Max and Steph. She began spending more and more time at the Hoyland house, eventually asking Max if she could stay the night, as she really wanted his company. Things with Izzy seemed to get worse however, with Max’s sister putting her foot in it by bringing up the subject of Steph’s hair falling out. In an effort to make amends, Izzy organised a high tea in Steph’s honour. However, feeling increasingly weak, Steph passed out at work and was rushed to hospital, meaning everyone missed the party. As Steph returned from her time in hospital, Izzy became more distant, until the pair had a chat and Steph suggested that they find some way to get along. Steph’s attentions were soon forced elsewhere, however, when she overheard her parents discussing the fact that Max was about to propose. Bumping into Izzy at the pub, Steph took out her frustrations, accusing Izzy of only being interested in herself. Izzy eventually got to the root of the problem – Steph knew about the proposal and wasn’t ready to say yes yet. As soon as she got back to number 32, Steph quickly brought the subject round to marriage, saying how she felt it was unnecessary for all couples to require a wedding to prove their love. After a heart-to-heart, the couple agreed to put off marriage until Steph was fully recovered and to just concentrate on living in the present.

When Steph was finally given the all-clear, she was incredibly relieved and agreed to move back into number 32. Although her relationship with Izzy had been improving, it seemed that there would always be certain issues between the two of them and this time, it was the money that Max was owed. However, with Christmas approaching, they agreed to form a truce. Steph was excited to be planning her first Christmas as the ‘mother’ of the house and planned a meal for Christmas Day, also inviting her mum and grandmother, who would be alone at home. Unfortunately, the Christmas plans hit a temporary problem when Steph mentioned to Max that she now wanted a family and he admitted that he didn’t want any more kids. Once the holidays were over, the couple could no longer avoid the issue. After several days of silence, along with some intervention from Lyn and some old baby photos, Max was convinced to give fatherhood a third try. Steph was delighted and, despite one or two hiccups, the family celebrated with them.

When Mal Kennedy returned to town, he announced that he’d be selling number 32. Steph felt terrible when all the savings she could produce were $1000, but she still offered it to the fund so she and Max could buy their home. Soon after this, war broke out between Max’s sister, Izzy and Steph’s mum, Lyn. With Lyn believing that Izzy had deliberately broken up the Kennedy marriage and Izzy accusing Lyn of being nothing more than a gossip, Steph didn’t know where to place her loyalties. Her troubles grew when an old mate of Max’s, Gus Cleary, came to town, hell bent on revenge for Max getting him sacked from the rigs two years ago. When Gus found out the Hoylands limit at the auction, he started phoning in and placing anonymous bids, pushing Max and Steph way over their limit and leaving them in dire financial straits. The young couple refused to let it phase them though, and Steph concentrated on her upcoming hospital appointment. After learning that her cancer was still in remission, Steph decided to grab the bull by the horns and proposed to Max. He happily accepted, and the couple got down to planning their future, little realising that Gus was doing everything in his power to take over from Max as head of the household.

With Gus trying to muscle his way in, Steph only managed to give him a helping hand, as she spoke to Roberta Marley about going on a school tour. The tour would involve speaking to children about what she’d been through with her cancer, and she felt obliged to go. However, as Max had recently slipped a disc, she felt guilty about leaving him in the hands of Gus and Izzy. However, he family and friends soon convinced her, and she set off for three weeks in the country.

Steph was in for a surprise when she returned from her trip, as she found out that mentally unstable Gus had been stalking the family. Steph was horrified when a fight between Max and Gus resulted in her fiance suffering a fall, though luckily his injuries weren’t serious. Meanwhile, Max and Steph were also busy trying to plan their wedding. With interference from Lyn, Steph was forced to admit to Max that she only wanted a simple wedding. In the midst of all this, Gus was finally found and sectioned. However, Izzy’s discomfort with Gus’ continued presence in their lives, made Steph wonder if there wasn’t something that her future sister-in-law was hiding…

After several arguments about Izzy, Max and Steph finally agreed to simply get on with things and let Izzy live her own life. With the wedding coming, Steph had plenty to occupy her mind, but when she realised that her period was late, she began to wonder if her dream of having a baby was about to come true. Worried that she might be getting excited over nothing, she only told Max of her suspicions. However, she couldn’t keep her news a secret from Lyn or Libby, and before long, her family all knew about it. However, once Max finally convinced her to take a pregnanct test, it was already too late as she’d had her period and knew she wasn’t expecting. But with the wedding only days away, she had little time to dwell on her disappointment, especially with Lyn and Valda busy organising the biggest wedding Erinsborough had ever seen. Steph wasn’t keen on the extravaganza, but believed that it was what Max wanted, so she went along with it. However, once the couple realised that they both wanted a small, quiet affair, they decided that they had no option left but to elope.

They managed to escape from Ramsay Street, but Steph knew that she had to come clean to her mum. After phoning an anxious Lyn, they set about finding someone to marry them, as well as witnesses, and headed to a park for the ceremony. At the last minute, however, most of Ramsay Street, led by Lyn, arrived to join them. Lyn apologised for her interference, and everything went without a hitch. Afterwards, Steph’s biological grandfather, Charlie, proposed to Valda, and that couple also got married.

Returning from their honeymoon, Steph was shocked to find that Jack was making quite a mess of his life. She tried to help him to get the business back on track by helping with the books, but she realised that things were a lot more serious that she’d realised when Jack admitted that he had a drug problem. Steph tried to get Karl involved, but Jack just wanted to work things out on his own. After a few days, it seemed to be working, but Steph saw him leaving the house in the car one night and confronted him. He told her that he’d lied, before speeding off and going clubbing. Steph searched for him, but was in for a nasty shock the next day when she and Max came across a car accident, and she realised that Jack had been involved. At the hospital, Steph decided not to tell her parents until she knew what was going on, as Jack had started coughing up blood and required an operation. Luckily, he pulled through, and Steph took him back to stay at the Hoyland house for a few days. She admitted to Max that she felt responsible, as Jack had been such a rock to her during her cancer treatment. In the end, Jack broke down in tears after trying to steal money from Max, and Steph took him away for a few days at Stanno’s old place in the country.

Whilst there, they both managed to exorcise a few demons, and Jack finally admitted that he had a serious problem and would get help. Meanwhile, Steph was also forced to be honest. She explained that she wanted a baby more than anything, but that Max didn’t want to interfere with nature. Jack decided to have a few words with Max, which finally moved the process on, and the couple went for some tests. Steph was convinced that her cancer treatment would have rendered her unable to have children, but after a series of tests, it emerged that Max was the one with the problem. Although Max was depressed about this, Steph continued to look for a way to have a baby, suggesting IVF and sperm donation. Max disagreed with all of these methods, and Steph had finally had enough of his negativity. She confronted Max, accusing him of simply not wanting to have a baby with her. She told him that she was going away for a while to think about things and it seemed like the Hoyland marriage was in serious trouble before it had barely begun…

Max was unable to cope without Steph, and managed to get the address of Stanno’s place from Lyn. He then drove there and they had an honest chat about the way they were feeling. It seemed as though they’d reached the point of no return, until Max suddenly decided that he would try for a baby after all. The couple returned to Erinsborough and started the IVF treatment. Meanwhile, Steph was in for a shock when her mother announced that her marriage was failing. Lyn, desperate to hide the truth from Steph, then went to visit Joe and returned claiming that things were looking better. However, it wasn’t until Jack blurted out the truth that Steph realised how serious things were. With the marriage over, Steph decided to go and spend a few days with her father in Bendigo. Upon her return, she and Max were disappointed to find out that their first session of IVF had failed, but they weren’t about to give up. By Christmas, Steph had convinced herself that she was pregnant, but she was about to have bigger things to worry about…

Steph’s grandfather, Charlie, returned to town in time for Christmas and brought his sister, Doreen, along to meet the family. Steph was upset when she overheard them discussing the fact that Charlie only had weeks to live and, once Lyn found out, the family did their best to make sure he was comfortable and constantly cared for. Because of her own battle with cancer, Steph grew particularly close to Charlie during this time and he came to appreciate the way she refused to treat him like an invalid. She even attempted to take him down to Shelley Bay, to see his boat one last time, but he became unwell on the jetty and they had to take him home. On Boxing Day, Steph and Jack sat with Charlie on his boat, Sheergold Scandal, which they’d managed to tow up to Ramsay Street and he told them some sailing stories, before Jack left town to reunite with Nina in Hollywood. Later that day, Charlie took a turn for the worse and Steph sat with him as he passed away. As she tried to adjust his pillow and make him more comfortable, Lyn walked in with Charlie’s son, Michael, who had just returned from China. To them, the situation looked quite suspicious and Michael accused Steph of murder.

When Karl was unable to sign the death certificate, a police investigation began. A post mortem proved to be inconclusive, but traces of pillow fibres, as well as quite a lot of painkillers, in Charlie’s system made Steph’s case look bad. She was arrested for the attempted murder of her grandfather and shocked when Paul Robinson, a former Ramsay Street resident who’d recently returned to the area, paid her bail. The stress of all this, coupled with Max being slightly injured during an explosion at Lassiter’s, began to get on top of Steph and things only got worse when she realised that her pregnancy was a false alarm. As her trial approached, Steph struggled to keep things together, but as she got some rest at number 26 one afternoon, Charlie paid her a visit and told her that everything happened for a reason, leaving Steph with renewed hope for her future.

The jury found Steph guilty, but she was given a suspended sentence. Once home, Michael came to realise that he’d been wrong to treat his new-found family so badly and they managed to patch up their differences before he left town. Steph was determined to move on from the whole experience, but realised that her criminal conviction had ruled out the possibility of adoption. With this in mind, she was determined to be the best possible mother to Summer and Boyd. Her big test began when Max was offered six weeks’ work on the rigs, which would bring in some good money and help clear some of the debt. With Max gone, Steph found her parenting skills challenged daily, as Summer struggled to fit in at school, while Boyd aroused suspicions with his erratic behaviour. Steph confronted him over this, asking him if he’d been taking steroids. He denied it, and medical tests proved negative, with Boyd quitting his job at the gym shortly afterwards. However, just when she thought the worst was over, Steph was given a serious shock when Boyd’s health began to deteriorate dramatically. When he started to believe that his dead mother was still alive, Boyd was admitted to a psychiatric ward and diagnosed with adolescent schizophrenia. Steph tried desperately to contact Max, but the line was so poor that he efforts were futile.

After a few weeks, it was discovered that Boyd’s mental illness had been misdiagnosed and he was in fact suffering from a brain tumour. Following an operation, Boyd slipped into a coma, whilst Steph finally got word to Max, who returned and immediately took his upset out on his wife. Summer convinced Max that Steph had done everything she could and had coped extremely well with the terrible situation they were in. As Boyd finally regained consciousness, Steph was pleased to meet Max’s dad, Bobby Hoyland, who had arrived for a visit just in time. But Max was horrified to see his dad, and he told Steph that Bobby had never been around when he was a kid and would probably abandon them again soon, leaving disaster in his wake. Nonetheless, Steph made an effort to get to know her father-in-law and explained to him the situation with her being unable to adopt since she had a criminal conviction. Bobby convinced her that she should appeal and have her conviction overturned, enabling her to adopt and Steph considered this, before mentioning it to Max. When Bobby later came up with the cash to fund the appeal, Max was furious, telling his father that it could all go wrong and Steph could find herself with a worse sentence than before. Fortunately, the verdict was overthrown in court and Steph was thrilled when Max told her that they could begin the adoption process.

The first meeting with adoption official Peter Reece left Steph concerned that she might not be strong enough to adopt a baby, particularly if she were to fall pregnant with her own child soon after. Max assured her that this wouldn’t be the case and that there would always be enough love for every child in their home. Days later, a young homeless girl named Kayla Thomas saw the Hoylands’ profile and asked to see them. After the interview, Kayla decided that she wanted her unborn child to go to them and, after talking things through with Boyd and Summer, an ecstatic Steph and Max agreed. However, when Kayla turned to them for help after getting into trouble at the hostel where she was staying and they later spotted her scrounging food at the bar and begging outside Lassiter’s, Steph was adamant that they had to help. The family realised that being in contact with Kayla could jeopardise the adoption, but Steph insisted that she come and spend a few nights at number 32. After one night, and some bonding with Boyd, Kayla left, but it wasn’t long before she was back and this time, she went into labour.

The Hoylands were forced to send Kayla to hospital in a taxi, just in case the adoption people were waiting, but Boyd insisted on going along and ended up giving a fake name and staying for the birth. Max and Steph became concerned with Boyd’s growing bond with Kayla and baby Ashley and were astonished when Boyd announced that Kayla no longer wanted to give the baby up. Once the cooling off period was over, Max and Steph visited the hospital and told Kayla that it was fine if she’d changed her mind, but they needed to know now. Kayla insisted that Boyd had the wrong end of the stick and she still wanted to go through with it, and Steph excitedly looked forward to finally becoming a mum. Her joy quickly turned into a nightmare as Boyd and Kayla announced that Ashley was no longer up for adoption, as they were going to raise her themselves. Steph’s anger only grew as Max allowed the three of them to stay at number 32, and she walked out, going to her mum for advice, but stopping short of leaving him altogether.

Things only got worse when Peter Reece turned up, having found out that Kayla had stayed with the family on several occasions. He told Max and Steph that they had been permanently removed from the list of potential adoptive parents. Kayla’s guilt led to her walking out, leaving Ashley in the care of Max and Steph. Steph quickly realised that she couldn’t leave things as they were and set about tracking down Kayla. The Hoylands finally found her with her boyfriend, and Ashley’s father, Anthony. Kayla admitted that Anthony didn’t even know that she’d been pregnant but luckily he was delighted to find out that he was a father and the Hoylands left the young parents to manage on their own. Meanwhile, Steph had something new to worry about when she started to feel unwell and began to worry that her cancer had returned. She kept her hospital visits a secret, not wanting to worry Max, but was forced to tell him after he caught her in a lie. Max then insisted on joining Steph for the test results, which were all clear, but Karl admitted that the symptoms all pointed towards Steph being pregnant. After the news was confirmed by an ultrasound, Steph and Max were delighted, particularly as the news came on his 40th birthday.

In the weeks that followed, Steph decided to give up her job at the garage, as the fumes were making her feel ill, and she started helping out more at the Scarlet Bar. As Izzy was spending less and less time there, Max proposed to his sister that they buy her out. A furious, and, it was later revealed, drugged up, Izzy stormed out of the office and knocked Steph into the bar on her way. Fortunately, after a trip to the hospital, Steph was given a clean bill of health and the incident also proved to be the final straw for Max’s relationship with Izzy. However, the problems were quickly forgotten when Izzy was involved in a plane crash during a joy flight celebrating 20 years of Lassiter’s hotel. The incident made them all realise the importance of family and Izzy agreed to start pulling her weight at the bar.

Just as things seemed to be settling down for Steph, she was disturbed by a series of dreams about Drew Kirk. As they seemed to have erotic undertones, she kept them a secret from Max, until she accidentally called him ‘Drew’ one night and was forced to confess all. Meanwhile, the dreams took a sinister turn when Drew tried to take Steph’s baby away, and she began to fear for the health of her unborn child. Max convinced her that there was nothing to fear, and before long, Drew had gone away again. However, he returned one last time to try and convince her to leave Max, and she woke up with a start, wondering what could be behind the strange dreams. It wasn’t until Boyd and Max reminded her of how strong she was, having beaten cancer, that Steph realised that Drew had been warning her about her own health. She found another lump in her breast and told Max that the cancer had returned.

After some tests, it was confirmed that Steph was indeed suffering from breast cancer again. Karl explained to her that the treatment would pose little danger to the unborn child, who they had since found out was going to be a boy and had named Charlie, after Steph’s late grandfather. However, she wanted guarantees that her child would not be harmed and when they couldn’t be given, she decided not to have treatment until after Charlie’s birth. In a desperate act, and in the hope of preventing the loss of a second wife, Max decided to get a legal and medical intervention and have Steph assessed for mental incompetence. However, when Dr Helen McNamara turned up at the house, Steph was horrified to realise what Max had done behind her back and she threw him out of home.

A few days later, when Lyn was busy with work, Steph took Oscar from Paul and Izzy’s place, and drove to the park. Everyone was frantic that the child had disappeared, until they spotted Steph leaving the house with him after rewinding Paul’s home security videos. Stuart found Steph and Oscar in the park, and she started to cry, realising how much worry she’d caused everyone. Meanwhile, Stuart, whose own wife, Sindi, had been sent away for psychiatric treatment, convinced Max that Steph was showing signs of mental illness and he should catch it before it got any worse. At number 32, Steph became confused about the events of that day and broke down in tears when Max came to visit. She allowed him to return home and admitted that she was terrified of how difficult she was finding decisions. With Stuart’s words echoing in his mind, Max arranged for Steph to be taken away by the police for an involuntary 72-hour assessment. Steph’s trust in Max was shattered and, having convinced the psychiatrists that she was sane, she went away with Lyn for a few weeks at a health retreat.

Upon her return, Steph was still adamant that her marriage to Max was over and they agreed that he would move out. However, Boyd wasn’t about to see them throw their marriage away and, after angrily telling them both to stop being so stubborn, they realised that their marriage wasn’t worth throwing away. However, as they celebrated their reunion, Steph confided in Susan that her health wasn’t as good as she was making out and she was beginning to experience symptoms from the cancer. She swore Susan, and Karl, who came to examine her, to secrecy, explaining that if Max and Lyn found out, they’d force her into getting treatment that she didn’t want yet. Steph managed to keep it from Max for a few weeks, then news came through that Summer, who was visiting Rosie in Fiji, had been diagnosed with Dengue fever. Max flew out to be with his sick daughter, but as he left Erinsborough, Steph’s health problems finally got on top of her and she collapsed in front of Boyd. Steph was admitted to hospital, where Karl informed her that the cancerous growth was getting bigger and time was running out. Still, she decided to wait another couple of weeks until the baby could be safely delivered by caesarean section, and convinced Boyd not to tell Max for now.

It wasn’t until Steph had a dream in which a teenaged Charlie was coping with life without his mum around that she came to her senses. As soon as she woke up, she announced that she wanted to have the baby delivered and begin her cancer treatment. Karl, Lyn and Boyd were delighted, and news came through that Max and Summer were on their way back from Fiji. As Boyd drove them back from the airport, Max phoned Steph who, in her excitement at hearing from him, suddenly went into labour. She took it as a sign and, despite the fears of Karl and Dr. Olenski, was determined to go through with a natural birth. When Max arrived, he helped her through the labour and, by morning, Charlie Hoyland was born. A delighted Max and Steph had a few precious hours with him, and Steph got to feed her newborn son, before being taken away to theatre and her cancer operation.

In the weeks that followed, Lyn moved in with Max and Steph, hoping to pass down some of her wisdom about raising children, but Steph quickly made it clear that both her husband and mother were wrapping her in cotton wool. Lyn quickly moved out, but she still wanted to help and was upset to learn that baby Charlie wasn’t going to have a christening. Although Max and Steph agreed a compromise by arranging a naming day, Lyn feared that her grandson would suffer without some kind of religious ceremony. Whilst babysitting one day, she took matters into her own hands and arranged her own christening, but Susan managed to talk her out of it. When Steph found out, relations with Lyn hit an all-time low. It wasn’t until Lyn saved Charlie from a gas leak at number 22, when Izzy was supposed to be looking after him, that things started to change. When Lyn’s boss, Paul, then spotted a baby utility belt that Steph had adapted from an old tool belt, he was impressed and saw the chance to make some money from it. With Lyn’s encouragement, Steph signed a contract to have it mass marketed, but when Max later looked over it, he realised that Steph had agreed to only 5% of the profits. Although they managed to get Paul to increase it to 7%, Steph was furious with her mother for apparently selling her out. There was some good news to come, however, when Steph completed her course of intensive radiotherapy and was given the good news that it had been a success and she was cancer-free.

Over the weeks that followed, however, Steph struggled to deal with the changes to her body. She confided in her mum that she was losing confidence in herself and didn’t want to get intimate with Max, for fear that her scars would put him off. After finally admitting her fears to Max, he told her that he was proud of her scars, as they showed that she’d fought cancer and won, and Steph began to feel happier with herself as Max showered her with attention and took her on a date to Lanzini’s. However, other matters at home didn’t end quite so happily, as Boyd moved out when Max gave him an ultimatum over his engagement to Janae Timmins. Steph feared that Max was over-reacting and alienating his son, but Max refused to listen to reason and laughed as he received an invitation to the wedding. Facing so little support, Boyd and Janae opted to elope and the news of the sudden wedding was broken to Max, Steph and Janelle by Summer, who had returned for the occasion. Steph happily congratulated the couple and later gave them some money to pay for a decent honeymoon, while Max stayed away. He only turned up at the reception to point out to the newlyweds that their marriage wasn’t even legal, as Janae had used a fake birth certificate. Steph told Max that it probably wasn’t the best time to be confronting them, and warned him to leave before he said something he would regret. Outside, as Steph, Janelle, Bree and Summer waved off the couple, Max skulked in the background, unwilling to accept what his son had done.

Upon their return from their honeymoon on Wye River, Boyd and Janae managed to patch things up with Max, but, over the weeks that followed, Steph came to realise that perhaps it was her own marriage that was in trouble. As Steph concentrated her efforts on finding out which of her neighbours had reported her to the council for excessive noise, Max developed a friendship with Katya Kinski, after accidentally knocking her down in his car. Although she wasn’t badly hurt, a guilty Max started spending time with her. Due to a relationship with the unstable Robert Robinson, Katya found it difficult to trust any men, but found comfort in Max, who agreed to help her learn about her Tibetan roots. Unaware that she had anything to be worried about, Steph found out that it had been Toadie who reported her, but he claimed it to be a joke and accused Steph of having no sense of humour. Steph then started playing jokes on her friends and neighbours, as Max went away on a Buddhist retreat with Katya. Soon after, an oblivious Steph learnt from Susan that Katya had a crush on Max and had admitted to falling in love with him during that weekend away. Steph confronted her husband, desperate to know why he had kept her in the dark, but he assured her that she had nothing to worry about.

As Steph came to rely more and more on Toadie’s advice and friendship, she was horrified to learn that Max had been involved in an accident whilst trying to help Katya. After wrongly believing that Robert had escaped from prison and come after Katya, Max ran over Robert’s identical twin, Cameron, putting him in intensive care. A distressed Steph promised to stand by Max, but afterwards, admitted to Toadie that she couldn’t understand why Max would save the life of a woman he didn’t care about. And when Cameron died the following week, the Hoyland marriage seemed more unstable then ever. In the weeks after Cameron’s death, Max’s behaviour became increasingly distant and he admitted that he was terrified of holding Charlie, as every time he looked at his son, he imagined him dying. Max’s behaviour then got worse, as he became confused and even mistakenly left the house one day, believing that Steph had taken Charlie with her to work, when he was actually still in the house. However, as Max became more and more insistent that he wasn’t losing his mind and that he was being framed, Steph and Boyd grew more and more concerned that he was, not realising that he was right, and Elle had been setting Max up, as revenge for Cameron’s death. Eventually, Max concluded that he was putting Steph and Charlie’s lives at risk by being around them, and, with no evidence that he’d been framed, he admitted himself to the psychiatric ward of the hospital.

Although Steph continued to visit Max and support him, she realised that he was no longer himself, as the medication caused him to ramble, repeat himself and even confuse Steph with his late wife, Claire. Eventually though, after tests showed that Max was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and was recovering, Steph arranged for him to be allowed home to continue his care. However, when she, Boyd and Janae then went to collect him, they found out that he had disappeared. The following day, his coat and a photo of the Hoyland family was found at a bus stop and Steph began to realise that he had deliberately walked out and may never come back. As she struggled to cope, Steph turned to Toadie, who had left Erinsborough for a new job in Sydney, worried that he was becoming too close to his married friend. Upon hearing the news, Toadie returned, moving in with Steph and Charlie as his own house had been rented to new tenants in his absence. As Max’s return started to look more and more unlikely, and his wedding ring was found with a local homeless man, Steph was glad of Toadie’s help with arranging finances at the bar and his support in looking after Charlie.

After Max was spotted at a Salvation Army shelter, it was left to Harold to pass on the news that he wasn’t going to come home and that Steph should get on with her life. And when Toadie decided to move out of number 32, fearing that he was falling in love with Steph all over again, she failed to realise the truth and, following a night out at a cocktail party at Lassiter’s, the pair shared a kiss. Though the pair tried to deny their feelings over the weeks that followed, and Steph told an indignant Boyd that she wasn’t simply behaving like Max never existed, things came to a head when Steph, Charlie and Toadie were involved in a siege at number 32. The situation was once again down to Katya, who was being blackmailed over her past as a criminal and drug addict by Guy Sykes, with whom she’d stolen cars before going into rehab. Believing that Katya had made $10,000 from stealing more cars, Guy was determined to get to the money and when he spotted Katya entering number 32 on Christmas Day, he followed her inside and threatened her and Steph with a gun. They were quickly joined by Katya’s brother, Zeke and Toadie, who had been in the shower and a tense stand-off ensued. When Guy was distracted for a moment, Zeke managed to knock him down and everyone but Toadie escaped. Moments later, as Toadie ran out of the front door, Guy got up and fired the gun, leaving Toadie with a bullet in his back.

As Toadie narrowly survived his shooting and lay unconscious in hospital, Steph admitted to Susan that the incident had made her realise that her feelings for him ran far deeper than just friendship. Boyd overheard the confession and finally told his stepmum that he just wanted her to be happy and gave Steph a necklace that he’d found at number 32 – Toadie’s Christmas present to her. When Toadie regained consciousness, she told him that she loved him and wanted them to be together. But their happiness wasn’t to last – as Max suddenly returned, having been staying with a family in Waratah Park that he met through the church. Steph found herself torn, but was quick to tell Max that she couldn’t just pick up where they left off – he had caused her a great deal of pain by disappearing and she couldn’t just forget that. Following another chat with Susan, Steph realised that her future lay with Toadie, but it was too late, as he’d already come to the conclusion that their relationship couldn’t work with Max back in town and he didn’t want to see her again. With that decision made, Steph decided that her only option was to give her marriage to Max another try and asked him to move back into number 32 so that they could begin to move forward.

Steph found it difficult to continue with Max as if nothing had happened, despite his attempts to win her over with romantic gestures, including a hot air balloon ride. But the old magic was gone and the pair sadly realised that their marriage was over. After spending a few days in Shelly Bay with Valda and Lyn – who had since left Erinsborough following a brief but disastrous marriage to Paul – Steph and Max returned to break the news to Boyd and Summer, who was home for a few days. They reacted badly at first, but came to terms with the news and said their goodbyes to their dad as he left Erinsborough to take a job on the Gippsland rigs. Steph was then left running the bar, and trying to come to terms with her feelings for Toadie. But before she could do that, he found himself a new girlfriend in the form of Abby Stafford. Toadie had met Abby through a dial-a-date agency and when Steph later spotted her with another man in the General Store, she immediately jumped to the conclusion that Toadie’s new woman was cheating on him, but received a curt reply when she tried to warn him. But the pair quickly patched things up when Abby’s young daughter, Zoe, went missing in Toadie’s care, and Steph was the one who found her. Struggling to cope with seeing Toadie moving on, and the end of her marriage, Steph decided to take some time away from Erinsborough and left to spend a month in the country, checking out new wine suppliers and visiting her family. Before leaving, Susan encouraged Steph to speak to Toadie, and even ask him to join her on the trip. But when Steph put her feelings on the line, she was left humiliated when Toadie said nothing and she quickly left, not realising that he had tried to come after her, but had been stopped in his tracks by Abby.

While she was away, Steph heard the tragic news that Toadie’s cousin, Stingray Timmins, had died from an aneurysm, following an operation to donate bone marrow to his niece, Kerry. Upon her return, Steph was quick to track down Toadie at the office and offer her sympathies and Abby soon pointed out that she was still working as Toadie’s secretary – and still his girlfriend. But seeing the emotion between the two of them finally made Abby realise that she was standing in the way of true love. Single again, Toadie went to see Steph and suggested that they give things another try – but take it slowly this time. Despite this plan, it wasn’t long before Steph was asking Toadie to move in with him and, although he was slightly freaked out when fake spiritualist Terrence Chesterton told him that his late wife, Dee, didn’t approve of the new union, he packed up his stuff and went to live with Steph. And although they had to sell some of the furniture – as Toadie freaked out about sleeping in Max and Steph’s former marital bed – it seemed that they were going to be very happy living together.

With her personal life back on an even keel, Steph’s professional life was in for a few changes as she took over the bar from Max. As her renovations plans hit one snag after another with the local council, and Sky’s idea to use one of the bar’s side walls as a graffiti memorial for Stingray was also rejected, Steph suddenly came up with the idea of running for council herself and improving the situation from the inside. With Toadie as her campaign manager, she pressed ahead, determined to portray herself as a real person; an approachable working mum who had the interests of the local people as her primary interest. On the night that the bar’s renovations and new name, Charlie’s, were launched, Steph planned to announce her political plans with a speech but ended up backing out at the last minute. A week later, thanks to Toadie taking over the entire campaign, Steph had another attempt to launch her political ambitions, this time with a press conference at the community hall. But, as she started reading Toadie’s speech to the gathered journalists, she realised that the long words and spiel were the complete opposite of what she was standing for, and instead explained that she simply wanted to provide people with a safe community. And while it won over the assembled crowd, Toadie was furious with her for completely ignoring his advice and started threatening to run for council himself.

The following week, Toadie and Steph attended the wedding of neighbours Rosetta Cammeniti and Frazer Yeats, but the day ended badly when the minibus carrying many of the guests back to Ramsay Street, driven by Toadie, collided with the Parker family’s removal van. Frazer’s brother Ringo Brown was the only person seriously injured in the accident, left in a coma and, while Ned Parker’s son, Mickey, was to blame, having been messing in the van and taken the handbrake off, Toadie was found to be very close to the legal alcohol limit. He underwent further tests and, a few days later, as he and Steph were in the middle of a council debate, Toadie was arrested and, in front of the gathered press, he formally withdrew from the council race. Having been charged, Toadie started to resign himself to losing his career and possibly his freedom, but Steph, having seen Max spiral into depression the year before, quickly snapped him out of it and encouraged him to fight. And as his day in court arrived, Toadie did fight, with colleague Rosetta on his side, and was left with a $1000 fine and a six-month suspension of his licence.

On the day of the trial, Toadie's big brother, Stonie turned up for a visit, bringing with him a secret pot addiction. When Toadie found out, he told his brother to get out, but Steph allowed him to stay a little longer. The stress of this, coupled with problems at work, caused Toadie to have a panic attack, and a guilty Stonie finally opened up about problems in his marriage to Chantelle and agreed to try and give up the drugs, only for Chantelle to then turn up and announce that she'd decided to take a little holiday in Erinsborough herself. The final straw came when Stonie hid some of his drugs in the bin and then left baby Charlie unattended. At the hospital, he was found to be OK, but it made him realise that he needed help and, on the day of the election, he and Chantelle headed off home. Steph, meanwhile, won her place on local council but during her first meeting, she found that it wasn't going to be an easy ride. After being ignored by the other councillors when she tried to bring up a memorial wall for Stingray, councillor Jackie Jones took Steph to one side and told her that, if she wanted to get things done, she'd need to learn to play by the rules. So, when a book launch was helf at Charlie's for celebrity chef Tony Aristedes, Steph asked him to stay on and cook up a few nibblies, before inviting Jackie and some of the other councillors along. The plan to win them over succeeded and Steph found that she now had some leverage to get her childcare centre off the ground, but Jackie warned her that it would be at the expense of Stingray's memorial wall. Steph was then left to break the news to Janae that her brother's memorial wasn't going to happen.

Things at home were no less difficult, when Steph took offence to Toadie bringing in his old green armchair from number 30. When Steph pointed out that Toadie hadn't even consulted her about removing her sofa and replacing it, he reminded her that he'd lived there for six months, and it was the only thing belonging to him in the room. Steph apologised, but told Toadie that her name still being Hoyland, and the house still being full of furniture she'd chosen with Max didn't make a difference to how she felt about him, and that the armchair could stay. Steph's heartfelt words then gave Toadie an idea and, after gathering many of their friends and neighbours at Lassiter's, he left Steph lost for words when he proposed with the help of a skywriter. With many expectant eyes on her, Steph was forced to turn Toadie down, and the tension was then broken as Valda made a surprise return to town. Steph was grateful to have her grandmother's ample bosom to cry into, as Toadie struggled to accept Steph's explanation that she simply didn't want to walk down the aisle for a third time, and was happy with things the way they were. With things becoming increasingly awkward, Steph took Toadie for a ride on her motorbike, to a secluded spot, where she told him that she was going to change her surname back to Scully. She then read some vows that she'd written for him, and agreed to the engagement, though she explained that it might have to be a long one. Meanwhile, council matters were also proving problematic, as many of the locals, led by Janae, launched a campaign to save Stingray's wall. Though she felt awful, Steph tried to be loyal to the council, but when Jackie Jones turned up and jokingly suggested that Steph should bring Charlie down to Lassiter's for a photo op, since Janae had recruited young Mickey Gannon to help get signatures. Disgusted by Jackie's comment, Steph decided to go and join the rest of the protestors, lined up in front of the wall to stop the council workmen from painting over it. A few hours later, a call came through with the news that the council had backed down and the wall could stay, a decision strongly swayed by Steph's involvement. With one of her promises achieved, Steph headed off the following week on a work trip to Adelaide, to further research her plans to build a childcare centre in Erinsborough.

Upon her return to Erinsborough, Steph was thrilled when Libby paid a visit, as Susan battled health problems, eventually being diagnosed with MS. As Steph supported her best friend, she was shocked to learn that Darren had once again cheated on her, which brought her problems with Toadie to the surface once again. Toadie was forced to admit that he supported Darren, who explained that he'd felt like he was always competing with the memory of Drew, which led to an argument about why Steph was still refusing to wear her engagement ring. After hearing Libby talk about Drew, even mentioning that she couldn't ever remember having an argument with him, Steph realised that perhaps Darren and Toadie had a point, and even put her ring on her finger for the first time. Steph then tried to convince Libby that she needed to move on. At first, Libby was angry with her friend's interference, but soon realised that perhaps she was right, and her obsession with Drew had been part of the reason why Darren had looked elsewhere.

Trivia Notes
• The role of Stephanie was originally awarded to Emma Roche, who had recorded three weeks of episodes before being replaced by Carla Bonner. Carla began recording almost immediately after her casting, with all the existing Stephanie Scully scenes re-recorded accordingly. Roche can be seen briefly during the Scullys' arrival, in the long-shot of Stephanie driving the Scully family car
• Steph turned 21 on June 1st 2000

Magic Moments
Episode 3419: The Scullys' Arrival
Episode 4007: Marc and Stephanie's Wedding
Episode 4008: Marc and Stephanie's Wedding: Part Two
Episode 4528: Max and Stephanie's Wedding