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Hi Nathan
Before you jump in the deep end and get an equatorial mount you need to see what the photographers are doing else you might get frustrated before you even get to taking a photograph.
If you are new to astronomy forget the photography for a while and get yourself a dobsonian or small Alt/azm goto mount and learn about the sky. You can even mount your camera on a cheap telescope and take some short exposures of the sky at night, the moon and the bright planets.
When you can do this with ease it is the time to get the best equatorial mount you can afford and a simple ED80 or small newtonian and learn how to do a polar alignment. This is a most frustrating job on a equatorial mount for a beginner. But once mastered it will become second nature. You will probably need a second telescope on the mount to use as a guide scope but rigidity here is important.
Next on the list will be a couple of computers, software, power supplies, guide camera, cables etc,. The list goes on and on.
I am sure there are some IISers withinn 50 or 6o km's of you who will happily guide you past the pitfalls and there are a couple of very good clubs in central Victoria.
Barry
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