I know one of the ATC guys on duty at the time. And any implied suggestion that he and others were smoking the odd cigarette, feet up on the console, oblivious to all but the heavy metal at FL 350 is cruel, wrong and just nasty.
And Dick.....most airlines, including mine...as part of our CRM training in the classroom, the simulator and on the line....tell pilots, Captains (yes this poor guy flying up near Benalla was a PIC) to listen to "that sick feeling that something is wrong". he was flying without GPWS, not even a Radio Alt (I think) in IMC relying solely on his version of a GPS plotted track. I know he didn't mean to get into this place but ultimately HE was PIC, not ATC whatever may or may not have fleetingly appeared on their screen.