I can only agree with John, DSB. I used to try observing from suburban Melbourne but soon gave up. Anywhere less that one hour's drive from the outskirts is a poor substitute for darker skies. Sydney is much worse. I was out Mittagong way last week and the Leo triplet (in the direction of Sydney skyglow) was disappointing.
Pack it up next new Moon weekend and check those targets again from well outside Sydney - then you'll have a better assessment of how it is performing.
From the depths of the city, I suggest you get interested in stars - coloured, doubles, triples, eg:
http://scp3.org/blogs/blog5.php/crux/