... it's typically going to be a mix of the fake, the genuine, and a little bit of in-between.

I used to consider megapersonals to be 95% BS, but started to notice occasional legit providers, some with good reviews. Maybe my assessment adjusts to something like 75% BS.  (Still, I only check it once in a great while.)

ts4rent shows "107 TS Escort, Shemale & Trans Escorts in Melbourne, Australia" - Fuuuuk ... I might hop a flight!  ts4rent has its share of fakes and flakes, but I've found quite a few fine ladies there (California, mostly.)  The other site I use often is tsescorts, but had a quick look and it just seemed to crash/hang when I went looking under Australia/Victoria.

You might start just by searching TER for Melbourne, adding in "Transexual - Yes PreOP or Post OP" plus any other qualities you're seeking, then looking at the individual providers at this locanto site, see if they have presence on TER or if there are any other sources of information about them.

Good Luck!