And the question after that is, I guess, who infected Mary and whom did they infect? Because syphillis is highly contagious, was incurable in those days and must have cut a swathe through the people with whom Mary and ? were in contact. So if it were E.T. Foley, or an alternate Edward Foley, he would have been lucky to have descendants and there would have been infant mortality/stillbirths and adult illnesses/deaths - which should show up in his family tree.
How sad!
I am without medical qualifications, so from Doctor Google searching this morning
'Symptoms may then show up when the infant is 3-14 weeks of age. In these cases the mother probably acquired the infection during the later part of her pregnancy. ' So, E T Foley was the person on the various records as the landlord or householder etc. In red light districts in Sydney (there were several) that person may well have been a 'stooge' and was not ever the 'actual' person who 'ran the girls' ... The oldest profession in the world ... being enslaved by economic circumstances and lack of community and employable skills thus needing to be a 'pro'. E T Foley is the least likely candidate to be the infector, he was the stooge on the paperwork, he took the fall for the unclean household charges.
Just my opinion.
Question... I have looked at the online version of NZ BDM ... The marriage earlier than 1875 will be scant on info, (no parents etc) but ... the most likely entry on their index does NOT mention Thomas MINTON... I know the online index has flaws particularly for that early pre 1875 marriage regos. but ... should you be looking at NSW records under the surname MUSSON for Mary, as the NZ BDM may have her marriage :
1873/11035
Mary MURPHY and Thomas Tims MUSSON
https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/searchJM