1st year out of school I worked at Walton's Boatshed fulltime teaching sailing, windsurfing and fixing boats(I'd been there on weekends/holidays since I was about 12)...then 3 months in a glue factory at Brookvale then drove taxis for 4 years...the last 18 months of which I had a CPL and Instructors Rating but could only find part time instructing...then off to PNG and never looked back.
The Boatshed paid about $120 net/week for about 60 hours work. The glue factory paid about $150 net for 40 hours and the taxi paid about $500/week for 80 hours.
Rent on the apartment was $80/week.
From memory an hours dual in an almost new 152 was $55 odd dollars and solo was about $35.
I can only echo the sentiments re those whose fathers paid..my best mate's Dad paid for all his fixed wing and rotary wing...he's now a crew scheduler at a major airline
Chuck.