Have watched this thread with interest!
My two cents worth - I have a somewhat different background across a profession (not engineering), the tertiary sector and GA.
If I had a son or daughter interested in a career in aviation (as I do), I would NOT recommend they do any of the aviation courses available in Oz. In my opinion they are a meaningless qualification.
I would recommend they do an accredited degree in mechanical engineering - well recognised, bankable, qualification that will always be there to fall back on if the flying career goes pear shaped, and will open up a range of career opportunities in the aviation industry in addition to the military or airline tech crew.
Unfortunately the majority of tertiary level aviation courses in Oz are a bunch of maths and physics, and maybe some phsyc and business - with a bit of flying on the side.
Dr