[seldo]

Though by no means essential for a career in computing, a computer science degree is incredibly useful. At the very least, at the end of your course the skills you have now will have been given a stamp of authenticity by the accreditation, but in the best case the high-level tour of computing provided by a good degree course will have introduced you to concepts that will make you a better developer, and possibly sparked a deeper interest in some part of the field you're currently unfamiliar with, that will help guide you in picking the next stage of your career.

Choose wisely though: all degrees are not equal, and depending on the expense involved (I don't know what tertiary education costs are like in Oz) they may not be a net win.

[nnwa]

Thanks for that - Can you give me any recommendations of a qualification I could take online which would be worth having for the piece of paper?

[seldo]

None of the online-only sources are yet at a level of quality where I, wearing my hiring-manager hat, would take them seriously enough to justify the money spent. They'll get there eventually, but they're not there now.

Is there any reason you can't/don't want to attend a physical university?

[nnwa]

No, but if I can do it from home that works equally as well for me.