Some people may not be aware, or may have forgotten, what a paternalistic system Australia used to have, and why ‘uncontrolled’ is a slightly misleading description of airspace back then.
Have a close look at the flight plan submitted by the PIC of MDX. Mark well the significance of the “Operational Approval” box and the various stamps on that document.
The perspective from the ground may well have been that this level of supervision was to “help”. The perspective from the cockpit was of being supervised.