Is this a hypothetical or is it based on real events? My dad has pieces of retired distillation apparatus from a plant that does chemical research and also manufactures codeine. Definitely the condenser, and maybe also the round-bottom flask. He's left them sitting above his TV for years, in plain view. My mum has a binocular microscope and a box of precision scales sitting near the kitchen table. Nobody has ever commented on any of this except to say how neat the glassblowing is, etc.
I'm sure some people do live in modern-day Salem equivalents, but I bet a lot more people think they do.
It depends where you are. If you're in the upper middle class neighborhood you can probably get away with it. People will think you're brewing your own alcohol or some other eccentric hobby.
If you do this in a poor neighborhood that's had a problem with meth houses, you'll, either get the police kicking down your door, or you'll get the methheads breaking in and stealing your equipment.
Trying to compare what happens in the AU vs US might not work out well.
I'm sure some people do live in modern-day Salem equivalents, but I bet a lot more people think they do.