The Qantaslink interview stages have now changed, as all applicants go to a hold file and then as positions become available they are accepted and put into a GS. Estern GS are very small and somewhat tedious. It is a slow process with most regional carriers in Australia.
As for the comment regarding offshore bases although it is true, a domestic or regional airline in Australia is hardly going to send people offshore when their operations dont extend past their shores. Qantas is the only Australian airline to have casual FAs currently.
All the best for your application, although a small team im sure Eastern is a great bunch of people. I have worked for the WA brand of Qantaslink and enjoyed it thoroughly.