[Allan_L (Allan)]

There are obviously a lot of experts here who have experience in these areas, and assume everybody else does too.
How unfortunate if that proves not to be the case.

Whereas I agree that we are definitely becoming a nanny state, I do not see this thread as propagating that end.

So...
If you know what you are doing, do what you know,
but
if you are new to safe solar observing, better be safe than sorry, IMHO.

And even knowing it is perfectly safe during the total phase can be misleading, because the majority of Australians will not be in the "safe zone" during totality. And I dare say the warning is aimed at them.