Duncan Stewart

After finding out she was five months pregnant, Ailsa gave birth to Duncan whilst Alf and Tom were lost at sea. It took some time for Ailsa to bond with Duncan, and in the interim, she developed post-natal depression. At her worst, she attempted to smother him in his cot. At his christening, Duncan developed a rash and a fever and was rushed to hospital. There, it was learnt that he had had an allergic reaction to the christening gown that Celia had provided. This ordeal proved strong enough to pull Ailsa out of her depression and helped her bond with her son. As he grew from baby to child, he developed a close friendship with Christopher Fletcher and the pair were inseparable.

As a child, Duncan found himself in dangerous predicaments. Firstly, he found a needle under Justine’s bed when she was staying with them. Not long after, he found the body of a Vietnamese person whilst on a picnic with his parents. The following year, his life was threatened when he followed the teens to the Summer Bay quarry. He was injured when he fell into the quarry from the top. He suffered two broken legs and was taken to a hospital in the city to recover. Over this time, Ailsa spent a considerable amount of time by his bedside, but Alf avoided visiting him. Instead, Alf launched civil litigation against the council. The following year, they received a pay-out of $100,000 in compensation, which went into a trust fund for when Duncan was 21 years old.

Following an extended stay in hospital, Duncan finally returned home. However, the hospital stay took a toll. He had grown quite bratty and entitled. On top of this, he had developed a disdain for his father due to Alf’s not visiting him enough in hospital. After almost causing a car crash whilst he was talking to his mother, Duncan began to rub his peers up the wrong way. He instigated a war with Sam by putting a rotten sandwich in his gym bag, and annoyed Gypsy and Will by following them and locking them in the lair Robert Perez locked Gypsy in.

When Irene was forced to rush to the city, Joey, Will and Hayley temporarily moved into the Stewart house. Duncan wasn’t happy with the arrangement and set out to make their lives hell. As a result, he put a knife under a recently recovered Joey’s bed to make it out that he was suffering a relapse into schizophrenia. Will, Hayley and Sam banded together to unveil Duncan’s behaviour, but Ailsa didn’t believe them. Instead, she banned them from the Diner. When Irene tried to defend them, she too was banned. This was eventually overturned when the teens’ peer boycotted the Diner. 

His next plan saw him build a bomb with his friend Jack. Their first attempt ended in disaster, when Jack was injured. Their second attempt created a much larger bomb that Duncan carried around in a box. He explained to his parents that it was for school, and he didn’t want to show them until it was finished. However, when Alf took a sneak peak, the bomb exploded. Alf went to hospital with minor burns, but it led to the already tenuous relationship between Duncan and his father deteriorating further. As a result, Ailsa arranged for Natalie to hold a mediation session for the pair. After Duncan admitted that Alf not visiting him during his hospital stay left him feeling unloved, he agreed to be a better father. In turn, Duncan agreed to rein in his behaviour. 

Duncan joined a church youth group, which took his parents by surprise. Unbeknownst to them, he began going to get close to Hope Benedict, a fellow group attendee who was avidly religious. It soon became that obvious he had a crush on Hope and to get her interested, he pretended to be fascinated by the teachings of the bible. He invited her to stay for dinner one night, and cleaned up afterwards, leaving his parents with the belief he’d turned a corner. When Hope realised what he was doing, she ended their friendship. However, after Duncan apologised and heard Hope out, he was given a second chance. He also apologised to his parents for his bad behaviour. After Lachlan Fraser’s death, Duncan questioned the mysterious ways in which God works. Duncan ruined his second chance with Hope when he tried to kiss her. Realising she and the Christian life weren’t for him, Duncan bid farewell to Hope. He decided to stick with the church for the time being. 

Duncan finally was able to bond with his father when he discovered fishing. But the family happiness was soon marred when Ailsa and Duncan were involved in a serious car accident. Ailsa’s life hung in the balance, and Duncan struggled to cope. He noticed Ailsa’s hand move, and later explained to James that he had survivor’s guilt: after the car crashed, Ailsa asked for his help to undo her seatbelt, but the car was filling with water and a fearful Duncan escaped. He was plagued with nightmares believing Ailsa blamed him for her injuries but Alf’s reassurance put Duncan’s mind to rest. When Ailsa was declared brain dead, Duncan clashed with Alf over whether her life support should be turned off. He lost, and they said goodbye. As she was disconnected from the ventilator, Ailsa started breathing on her own, much to Duncan and Alf’s delight. 

After crash a windsail, Duncan was stranded at sea, but was saved by Mitch. This resulted in the pair forging a friendship. Ailsa used Duncan as a pawn in her gaslighting of Alf, telling him that Alf was cruel to him because he still blamed him for the accident. A few weeks later, Duncan and his friend Gazza found the money that Robert Perez had stolen from Joel & Natalie Nash earlier in the year, stashed in the bush. The pair split the money, but Duncan held onto it and drip-fed it to Jack, infuriating him. Worried he’d be caught after Alf began to note his suspicious borrowing from Jack, Duncan hid the money in a public toilet, but later discovered it had been stolen. While he was busy looking for it, and found that Jack had discovered it, Alf started to believe that his son was caught up in a drug ring. 

Danger was just around the corner when Robert Perez escaped prison and saw Duncan holding the suitcase he buried the Nashes’ money in. When he took Ailsa and Duncan hostage, he revealed that Garry had the money. Robert ordered Duncan to find the money, and he held Ailsa as collateral. Duncan returned the money, but admitted he had spent some. He took him as a hostage. Robert tied him up and locked him in the boot of his car. He was saved when the police caught up to Robert. 

When Edward Dunglass arrived in the Bay, Duncan befriended him and was intrigued by his unique bravado. As the new year came around, Duncan made another friend in Liang – an illegal immigrant from China. He housed her in the diner, resulting in it being temporarily closed due to a suspected typhoid outbreak. He worried when Alf went to Dar es Salaam when he learnt Celia was kidnapped by armed rebels and decided to track her down himself. Edward’s blase outlook on the situation infuriated Ailsa, and she banned Duncan from seeing him. However, when a bet resulted in Duncan having to read Lord of the Flies, Ailsa learnt he had disobeyed her. 

Duncan developed a crush on Shauna and faked drowning in order for her to give him mouth to mouth. After she humiliated him, he ran away, presumed dead. This caused issues for Shauna, who was suspended from the Surf Club. However, it emerged that he had been hiding on the Blaxland. Once Alf returned from Africa, Duncan’s behaviour worsened and he was grounded indefinitely. He began to clash with his aunt Celia, but soon found a friend in troublemaker Nick. The pair trashed the Surf Club together, but Duncan was caught by Celia sneaking back in. In exchange for her silence, Duncan promised to stop giving Alf a hard time. As Celia bid adieu, it seemed to Alf and Ailsa that Duncan was a changed teen, thanks to her. He was elated to learn he had a sister in Shauna, but did grimace for a moment upon remembering he had tried to kiss her.

When the Sutherland family arrived, Duncan instantly became enamoured with Kirsty and found himself having to vie with friend Nick for her attention. After Jade is bitten by a funnel web, Duncan catches the spider. Jade thanks him for his bravery with a kiss. The pair entered into a relationship soon thereafter. Duncan was affected by the town gossip after Shauna began having an affair with a married man, Gavin. When his wife Alicia was found dead, Shauna was the number one suspect. Duncan found himself withdrawing from his friends and broke things off with Jade, and eventually confessed to being the last person to see Alicia alive. She had fallen when he confronted her about her attitude towards Shauna. He eventually made up with Jade. 

A few weeks later, a mudslide engulfed the Stewart House, trapping Duncan, Ailsa, Jade and Shauna in the rubble. With it only being a week after the Bayside Diner was burnt down by an oil fire, Duncan moved into the apartment above the Beachside Diner with his parents and Mitch. Shauna learnt she had a heart condition and he was tested for it. The results came back negative, but that night, Ailsa suffered a fatal heart attack in front of him. Duncan struggled to cope with his grief and found himself becoming violent. After a spray from Alf, Duncan moved in with Shauna temporarily. This caused ructions in the house, especially when Duncan threatened to get Leah sacked from the Diner. After his behaviour was uncovered, Duncan apologised and found himself moving into the house on a semi-permanent basis as Alf decided to go overseas to visit Roo. This, along with catching Alf kissing Vinnie’s mum Stella, left a sour taste in Duncan’s mouth. 

Duncan and Jade’s relationship was threatened when she struck up a friendship with David Barclay, a new student at Summer Bay High whose father Rick was responsible for the mudslide. Duncan taunted David, which frustrated Jade and the pair eventually split up. Duncan’s bad behaviour worsened as a result, abusing Colleen when it became clear she had a crush on Alf. He also teamed up with a friend to bomb David’s letterbox. An irate Alf and Duncan continued to clash, with Duncan telling Alf that he felt like his father was never there for him. Duncan continued to threaten Colleen. His feelings towards Colleen were cemented when his aunt Morag returned to town after seven years and put Colleen in her place. 

One day at the Diner when it was busy, Duncan offered to help Leah and stole $300 in $50 notes out of the till. When Alf was cashing up for the night, he realised the till was down just as Colleen grabbed her handbag and the money fell out of it. Although Alf was quick to jump to conclusions, Morag clued onto Duncan being the perpetrator. After Nick and Duncan had a falling out, Duncan snuck into the Beach House and smashed Nick’s PlayStation. After Irene confronts Alf about it, Alf speaks with Duncan and suggests he go stay with Morag, to which Duncan agrees. A few days later, Duncan returned, but went on a tirade, abusing Shauna, reducing Jade and Irene to tears and getting into a fistfight with Nick. With no one left to turn to, Alf allowed Duncan to move to the City with Morag. 

Duncan returned in 2004 on the day of Robbie and Hayley’s combined 17th and 21st birthday. His returns proved to upset Seb, whom he had had limited interaction with before he left the Bay three years earlier. It eventuated that Duncan has developed a drug addiction whilst living in the City. He reconnected with his ex-girlfriend Jade and the pair partook in the use of ‘nangs’ (nitrous oxide canisters). Duncan and Jade spiked the punch at Robbie and Hayley’s joint birthday party and got intoxicated. At the party, Duncan stole Robbie’s car keys and he and Jade took the car for a joy ride. Seb noticed at the last minute and attempts to stop them, jumping on the bonnet. He engaged in a drag race with another car, and plunged the car off a cliff. Whilst he and Jade walked away relatively unscathed, Seb was left paralysed. Duncan was arrested, but with Morag’s defence, he escaped without charges being laid. 

Not long after the accident, both Jade and Seb left Summer Bay, and Alf and Morag decided to try to integrate Duncan back into the community. His return to Summer Bay High proved to be unsuccessful when he quickly made himself unpopular with Robbie and Kim, and bullied Tasha upon learning her mother was Angie Russell. After continuous clashing with the boys, Duncan pulled a gun on Robbie and Kim and got himself expelled. With no other options, Alf sent Duncan to New York City to live with his sister Roo. A few weeks later, Alf travelled over to the States upon learning that Roo had been in a car crash and was in a critical condition. 

Duncan returned to following year for Alf’s 60th birthday party. He apologised to Fisher for the grief he caused by paralysing Seb. Duncan attempted to get close to his father, but when Alf brushed him off one too many times, Duncan left the party early, taking a bottle of wine with him. Following the party, Alf was injured in a car crash that killed Chloe Richards. As the victims reeled, including Duncan’s cousin Martha who has been left temporarily paralysed, it came to light that there was another car driving straight at them. Alf accused Duncan of being the perpetrator, but when Peter confirmed the paint on the car didn’t match Duncan’s, Alf was relieved. However, Duncan was hurt by Alf’s accusation. 

Alf and Duncan finally talked and cleared the air, with Duncan revealing that Roo’s car crash put things in perspective for him and he changed as a person. Following the reparation of his relationship with Alf, Duncan returned to the United States. In 2009, Alf flew over to the US to be present at Duncan’s wedding to Caroline. However, the pair had another falling out at the wedding over Alf’s dislike of Caroline and the pair grew estranged. The following year, Roo returned to Australia. Following Alf having a stroke, Roo contacted Duncan to tell him the news and to deliver the blow that Alf had written him out of his will. 

Eleven years after his last visit, Duncan returned and was firstly met by Tori, who he quickly developed a close bond with. Alf initially gave Duncan the cold shoulder during catch up with Irene and Marilyn, where Duncan revealed he was now a trained pilot. After Roo talked some sense into him, Alf began mending bridges with his son, but the relationship only fractures further when Duncan reveals he has a five year old son that he never mentioned. When Alf gave him the time of day, Duncan revealed that Bryce was three and he had just received his pilot’s licence when he learnt Caroline was having an affair. It was the being away from his son that made Duncan return to see Alf. The pair were able to put the past in the past and move forward as father and son. 

Duncan turned his attention to Tori and the pair quickly developed a close bond. She soon became the person he leant on in the Bay. 

In 2018, Alf and Roo flew to Hawaii to join Duncan and Bryce after they learnt that Caroline had passed away. 

* Duncan Stewart was born onscreen in 1989, but this was retconned in 1998 upon his return.