unmarried partner OR just get married

[OMY123]

I am AUS national. 8 year relationship with UK national.

Lived unmarried 'akin to marriage' 2011-2017 in UK and Australia.
- Granted unmarried partner VISA 2014 - 2017

Both travelled and studied separately for four months abroad first half of 2017.

Lived and travelled together August 2017 - April 2019 (Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Scotland)
guest houses / air BNB / my parents / his parents / pet and house-sitting
We haven't been generating income as used savings and building our own businesses.

We mistakenly applied in country for a second non married partner visa November 2018 and was refused (overstay/certified), reasons financial requirement, in country, cohabitation documentation was insufficient.

HO affirmed that the relationship was 'real and subsisting'.

Legal advice was to appeal to buy more time together early this year.
I left UK April 2019 and have been living in Bali since.

Partner is now employed.

Intention to apply for Non-married partner visa in 1 August 2019.

BUT cohabitation documentation will consist of travel receipts, landlord testimony, accommodation bookings, flight tickets nearly entirely paid for by my partner. He had the primary funds for our travels.

Is this going to be an insurmountable hurdle?

Do we need to bite the bullet and get married in Australia ahead of the application?

I gut instinct says this the case. We had planned on getting married in December in the UK, but I am worried I will be refused again.

Thanks for your help.

[OMY123]

Any recommendations on this would be appreciated

[CR001]

For an unmarried partner visa, more heavily scrutinised than a spouse visa, HO would expect to see rock solid evidence of 2 years commitments of being in a relationship akin to marriage with shared or joint financial commitments.

Give your recent refusal, expect everything to be checked with a fine tooth comb.

Your partner also need evidence of 6 months payslips and bank statements.

Are you in bali as a visitor?? If yes, you will likely have to return to your home country to apply as you need to have legal residence, not a visitor, to apply in a non home country.