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Depends on how you build it. In my opinion, pouring your pier as part of the footing is the easiest (and how I did mine). The actual dimensions of the footing depend on your soil type, the weight you expect it to hold (mount, scope, other gear, etc). You will hear people argue that a cubic metre is ideal, but really that is over kill for most amateurs. Anything from 60cm x 60cm x 60cm and up from there can be fine, if you drive star posts, or angle iron, reo, etc into the ground as anchors before you pour the concrete. You also need to think now, about whether you ever want to remove it, and ground anchors maje that more complicated.
As to the structure itself, my pier was poured (with reo) in a plastic pipe form, wet on wet in other words as soon as the footing is firm enough to support the pier pour. Brace your pier form to the vertical. Lazy people may prefer buying a custom made steel pier and attach it to a flat top pier, this will cost you more. Don't forget to insert your top bolts into the wet concrete, you can buy foundation L bolts at Bunnings that work fine.
My pier rises up through the floor of my observatory (without touching it). The observatory is also on a sloping block, but his set on treated posts which are supporting the level floor (posts set in concrete). I encourage traditional timber stud wall construction, as it's easy, and it will not sweat like metal buildings, or become a sauna when the sun is out. Roofing is worth thinking about now, draw it up, again colourbond is heavy as he'll, but polycarbonate corrugated roofing is very light, generally hail proof, and easy to work with. Have fun.
PS, take the time to find out what local Council rules might affect your plans. In NSW, if you keep it fairly small, no Council approval is required, nor inspection. Basically just claim it is a garden shed. Not sure about SA.
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