I purchased the ticket from AA by phone.
Qantas has informed me that they began charging $25 for the visa Sept 1, 2003. The person who traveled in Sept and didn't have to pay this fee sounds like they were lucky. I have to think that this fee is buried in your ticket price, otherwise its a scam to have such a website.
To the other person who said that ETAs were valid for 3 months, they are valid for 1 year from date of issuance.