Hi mum mum, Thanks for the bad news on the censuses.....
A friend of mine who has Ancestry just told me that the Fairless - Clune marriage is in Newtown, NSW in 1893...... Looks like I have to move some of my looking into NSW!!!! Thanks again for your help! Pat
I assume you mean
FAIRLESS/HOWIE marriage

New South Wales bdm's are online
http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/Index/IndexingOrder.cgi/search?event=birthsMarriage
5414/1893
FAIRLESS William J
HOWIE Jessie
District Newtown
There are a couple of possibilities for Mrs
FAIRLESS arriving in England, however one has nationality English and the other not recorded. I can't see them arriving together.
A few snippets re Francis.
HOWIE Francis.
Missing friends 31 May 1853
'Argus' missing friends index 1851-1853 Compiler Marion Button
Comment: re William Fyfe
HOWIE Francis.
Missing friends 2 Jun 1853
'Argus' missing friends index 1851-1853 Marion Button
Comment: re William Fyfe
HOWIE Francis.
Gazetted 13 Aug 1867 Victorian Government Gazette Page#1481
Woodnaggerak Victoria
Allotments Forfeited Non-payment of Rent
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper1860 Francis
HOWIE of Armstrong Street, Ballarat – shareholder of co to be registered
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0j7d/Dissolution of farming partnership 1861
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0j7a/Sale of farming equipment 1861
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0j7e/Supporting local MP 1864
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0j7b/Francis
HOWIE listed as shareholder of Essex Co – notice is self explanatory
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0j7c/Many more similar notices on TROVE.
Perhaps Francis was one of the many thousands who invested in speculative gold mining companies and lost their investments.
Cheers

Cando