G'Day 'Owen',
And I appreciate your response. The 'politics' were always against us 'integrating' in 'dem good ole' days...' - which was proposed by some, to be simply 'Air Traffic Services' many years ago, with the various ratings at the various locations describing your job.
However....all under the bridge now, and ALL the VERY best in your new career!!
Just one thing, the 'FULL SAR', i.e. VFR Full Reporting was largely optional as I remember, - except if you were CHTR, or operating in a 'Designated Remote Area' and did not carry an EPIRB.
For AWK, training flights, unless you were in CTA where Full Position Reporting was required, for the obvious reasons, then the choice was 'Full SAR' or SARTIME.
This was at a time when a Flight Plan was required for flights over 50nm from DEP AD...then it wasn't....then it was..again...this time reinstituted I think when a C310 dep Griffith in NSW for BK, and never arrived....the wreckage was found some time later on the reverse slope of a hill not too far from GTH, despite a big search around the Blue Mountains area....so it was brought back in again...if my memory bank is correct...
Anyway, I do recall that the 'Full SAR' option and requirements were removed from VFR flights WEF 12/12/1991, with a view to requiring less staff to enable FSO's to be made redundant.....and so to 'cost the industry less...and your safety will be enhanced'....B/S B/S wonk wonk..!!!....and eventually, CTAF and MBZ replaced AFIZ...etc etc...ALL in the name of 'Self Help' and 'cost cutting'....GOT TO get rid of thse 'pesky FSO's'......
Oddly enough, at the time I did hear that Canada actually preferred our 'AFIZ system', and was supposed to have closed some remote Towers, and introduced the 'FS operated AFIZ' - whether by that or another name , I do not know...anyhow can't vouch for it...its only what we heard...and we heard MANY 'things' in those days...
And, Yep! I see it from 'both sides' as well, Still have my CPL, although don't use it much no-more...
OOOps sorry, 'Rambling again'....
ALL the best
