Hi Everard,
I'd say that for $1,500 you may be able to get a good seconhand 8" SCT with mount. Some of the older ones go for just over a $1,000 sometimes. They are large enough to give good views of most objects and portable enough to take with you when travelling. The camera can be piggy backed on the scope for wide field shots or shoot through the scope for close ups of the night sky.
The other alternative is get a Dobsonian and put it on a tracking platform. Here is a link to a supplier of such stuff from Adelaide.
http://www.telescopes-astronomy.com.au/
Good luck.