Michael Steyn

I remember my time at Guy’s with much pleasure for the freedom and fun I had after leaving boarding school and home. I made long lasting friendships which have endured to this day even though I have lived in Australia since 1968.
I live in Newcastle Australia’s largest regional city on the coast 160km north of Sydney.
I wasn’t a very serious student and studying came second to having a good time in sport and social life.
I wonder if I would be accepted as a medical student in today’s highly academic and competitive world. I think not.
I was fortunate to do my resident terms at Orpington in Kent (beautiful pubs in country Kent) and work with two great physicians Neville Southwell and John Williams and Michael Fearnley in Physical Medicine as it then was. The medical registrar at the time went on to become Professor of Psychiatry in Edinburgh and we have always been in touch and visited one another.
I did O & G at Guy’s with G.F. Gibberd and Tom Lewis and got the job because I was the only applicant. The registrar, on exchange from Cape Town, went on to become Professor of Obstetrics at Groote Schuur and we have always been in touch and visited each other.
As was popular in the late 50’s and early 60’s in 1964 I went to sea as a ship’s surgeon on the New Zealand run and became known as Sir Gin Steyn. I met on board my lovely wife Babs’ and we were married in New Zealand in 1965. She never managed to emigrate on that occasion.
Returning to the UK I spent two and a half years in general practice in Hayling Island (beautiful golf course) before realising that the NHS and “X” years to parity were not for me. I left the practice and did six months anaesthetics in Portsmouth. Babs and I and our two young boys emigrated to Australia in 1968 as ten pound Poms. (I always remind my Aussie friends of their generosity when the opportunity arises).
I spent my first four months as an assistant to Peter Rikard-Bell , a job organized for me by Jimmy Good liffe. I expect they are both remembered by most in our year. I then moved further in to the country (bush) to practice with a friend from Bart’s who I had met in Portsmouth and later he joined my practice in Newcastle in the mid 70’s..
Two years practice in the bush was very demanding, full on, great fun and a wonderful experience and my anaesthetics came in very useful. Babs and I with our now three boys moved to Newcastle where we have been since 1971. I retired in 2001.
Never having been very academic and always interested in eating, drinking, golf and wine collecting I nevertheless had 30 very rewarding years in General Practice and have always enjoyed the freedom relaxed life style and great weather in Australia. In my early years in practice in Newcastle I was involved in O&G and also had Visiting rights at the local hospital where I could admit and look after my own medical patients.
I have been visited by Guy’s friends and old school friends and I have visited them in the UK, Kenya and South Africa. Living in Australia subjects people here as to what has been described as the “Tyranny of Distance” or geographical isolation, New Zealand is even further away, and this prevents one from being as close to friends and family as one would like.
I have maintained my interest in medicine, am a director of a private hospital nearby and I seldom miss browsing the BMJ and keeping up with medical politics.
Babs and I are always delighted to welcome overseas visitors and please let us know if you would like to visit.
Our details:- mbsteyn@bigpond.net.au Tel: 0249522747 or Aus. Country Code + 61 2 49522747

Further news:-
My dear friend from school and Guy’s, Mike Simpson (see picture outside the King’s Head) died in Portugal in 2006 and I am in touch with his widow Maria.
Clive Barrett lives 80 kms away, still working part time, and we talk from time to time and he sends his apologies and good wishes.
John Grime who had polio before he arrived at Guy’s now has the post polio syndrome, lives in Sydney and is physically unable to travel as is Jeremy Hallpike with chronic asthma and avascular necrosis in his foot who lives in Adelaide, they both wish to be remembered.
Michael Rallings lives in Sydney and may be coming with Brenda.
My very good friend Peter Nicklin who started with us but qualified a little later went home to Kenya and lives in Naivasha near Lake Naikuru (of pink flamingo fame). He has a young second family aged 10 and 9, has his nose to the grindstone and is unable to come and sends his best wishes.





The location is a beach we go to every year on the south coast of NSW which unlike the north and central coasts is renowned for its peacefulness and lack of people.

I am catching beach worms for fishing.

I have a stinker, which is old smelly fish in a stocking attached to a pole which is dragged along the sand until a worm pops up its head thinking it may get a feed. I then stick the pole in the sand and with a small piece of equally smelly bait in my left hand I encourage the worm to stick it's head out of the sand and with the pliers I have in my right hand I grab it and gently pull it out, that is if doesn't escape. One has to be quick, the experts don't use pliers they catch the worm between finger and thumb. I was a late starter so I am happy to use the pliers


Here is a photo taken outside the King's Head of Lawrence Youlten, John Robertson, myself, Steve Haynes,David Smith and Mike Simpson,(see above). You can enlarge the pictures by clicking on them