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This sort of thing isn't specific to astronomy either. My other passion is music. I can pay $3000 for a guitar here that retails for about half that in the US.
It seems local wholesalers or importers sign exclusive deals with overseas-based manufacturers that preclude other companies from sourcing the same product from other sources (so some resort to grey importing) and they thus protect their prices from competition. The exclusive importer justifies the relatively high prices on the basis of much lower volumes in the Australian market, but I struggle with the idea I can fly half way around the world, walk into a shop, buy something, mail it home, fly back...and I save money compared to buying locally. I can accept paying a bit of a premium for Australia's geographic distance from manufacturers or for the small number of customers here (particularly in the astronomy market), but it does seem out of proportion.
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