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Hi Darren,
There have been made many fine suggestions made of galaxies to chase down. Mine is not a must-see suggestion, but a how-to and what-to-expect post.
First the reality of galaxies in a scope - don't expect to see the magnificent bright spirals you see in photos. That just won't be the case. Even in a large instrument, say my 17.5" scope, the spiral structure in galaxies that display them is always subtle, and most times a real pain to glimpse. And under urban skies, no chance at all. To get the most out of a galaxy, you really need to be under a dark sky.
How to spot them - I do not know what your experience is like with astronomical telescopes, so forgive me if you already are familiar with averted vision. If you are not, it is the technique of looking just to one side of an object or detail in order to see the object. Our central vision is rich with rods, where rods are great for detail and colour, but respond poorly in low light conditions. Cones respond much better to low light, but are poor in detail. immediately surrounding our central vision is a sweet spot of an area which is rich in both rods and cones - this is the are that we as humans need to exploit.
When you are panning your telescope slowly across the sky to find a faint fuzzy, you will undoubtedly spot something out of the corner of your eye, then quickly fling the scope back to where you 'saw' something, but then no longer see it!!! Flaming heck, I thought I saw something! will be your first thought. Thing is you DID see something, but you are now relying on your rod rich central vision to find something that you spotted out of the corner of your cone rich peripheral vision, and now you no longer see it. See what's going on?
Averted vision is just looking to one side of a faint object in order to see it best. It is a learned technique that takes a little practice, but is learned very, very quickly. And don't worry about if it drives you barmy are the start. Even after more than 30 years of using scopes, I still sometime need to remind myself to use averted vision, again...
So when you are chasing down your first galaxies, be patient. They are faint and challenging for novice eyes. You being in Kirrawee you have a similar chance as me in Maroubra, so do have a go from home. Just be aware of the shortcomings of urban skies, and that a dark sky is better for galaxy spotting.
Below are a few sketches I've done of galaxies seen through my scopes under dark skies. They will give you an idea of how galaxies look like. Other than the two spirals, the other 'blobby' types are how most actually appear.
If you are interested, I'd be happy to show you how to make the most of your dob and how to spot bits and pieces in the sky. I'm not going anywhere this weekend, so if you are keen, let me know and I'll get a pot of tea ready.
Mental.
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