Eyrie,
in the beginning, Australian civilian aviation grew from the military and was administered by the department of defence, unlike the USA, where their military aviation grew from the civilian side.
Once upon a time all the airspace in Australia was owned by the RAAF, who very reluctantly released tiny bits and pieces of their airspace to accommodate a growing civilian industry.
The department of defence have never got over the attitude that they permit civil aviation to operate in their airspace under sufferance.
After WW11 the influx of ex RAAF personnel into the now civilian regulator ensured that authoritarian attitude prevailed, which is why our industry has to endure the regulatory Cr@p served up to us today, and in the opinion of a very senior CAsA person " If I had my way the only aviation occurring in Australia would be the RAAF and RPT".