At first when I read this post I thought it was ridiculous, how spoilt are people when they expect gifts for doing something that a hell of a lot of people have to do. I mean have a think about how much money our parents have spent on us in the last 17-18 years. Then I realised I have been given most of the things people are being given for finishing the HSC. I got a car after I could drive (it is 17 years old and my brother had it before me so it's not like it is a brand new one), my parents have payed for all of my formal stuff (I am planning on paying them back, they just don't know yet), I have been given a laptop to do work on, I'm going travelling in the holidays and my parents will pay.
I have never expected a gift/reward for finishing the HSC I just see it as something I had to do and my parents did enough by paying my school fees and supporting me.