Maris, an interesting observation I have made after seeing international photographers exhibitions in the flesh, is that there appears to be two schools of thought on how a photographer works.
Generally speaking, and I'm talking about the 20th century here. The American photographer pretty much does everything. That person shoots, develops the film and prints the pictures. In essence that photographer wants absolute and total control.
The European photographer though, considers that they are first and foremost a photographer, in the mould of a cinematographer. Not many cinematographers that I know develop their own film! Europeans are brought up with specialists in many fields all working together to produce their crafts. Some of the best European photographers have hardly ever printed their work, they leave the printing to the printmaker, which by the way is where I believe that expression came from.
Sebastion Salgado, who is pretty much the pre-eminent photo journalist in the world today, does not print his own work.
If one takes your view then even painters would be guilty, after all most don't mix raw materials to make their pigments, they go to a store and purchase them.
As for Australian photographers, most in the early 20th century had to do everything as it was the only way to get pictures. In the last 35 years there has been a critical mass of specialist printers that the Australian photographer, who often lives in places without the most important things like oodles of clean running water, dust free and clean working environment, has contracted the printing work to specialists.
I don't have a problem with that, it's the brain and eye behind the viewfinder and shutter that is really where it counts!
Mick.