Yes it has been happening a long time and it was not OK.
Which is why the law was changed.
In 1982, the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) was amended by the Crimes (Domestic Violence) Amendment Act 1982 (NSW) to introduce apprehended domestic violence orders in NSW. AVOs could be made for the protection of a person living in a marriage or those living together ‘as husband and wife on a bona fide domestic basis’. In 1983, the protection was extended to cover those who had previously been married or living in a de facto relationship in recognition of the fact that violence frequently occurs after separation. In 1989, amendments extended the cover of persons eligible for protection under an ADVO to include a broad range of domestic relationships.
In 2007, the law about AVOs was removed from the Crimes Act 1900 into a stand-alone Act, the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW). In 2011, the NSW Department of Attorney General and Justice commenced a statutory review of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW). The report into that review is yet to be released but it is expected there will be further changes to the laws around ADVOs in response to the review.
http://legalanswers.sl.nsw.gov.au/apprehended-violence-orders/about-avos