Using gravel for concrete hardcore base

Hi all. Getting started on building a pad for a shed. Pad will be roughly 6x8meters. The contractors are me and my neighbor, who has done this work before. I haven't worked with concrete beyond an occasional fencepost install in a previous house.:p

To start with, we need a concrete pad; the area in question we want to concrete is about 4x6 meters. It was cleared earlier this year and is just dirt and rocks, with a layer of mulch fabric on it to keep down the weeds. As a first step, I want to dig the area needed for the pad. My reading shows that 6 inches appears to be deep enough, and that there should be something called DPC installed atop a hardcore 'base'.

For the hardcore, we have about 10 tonnes of gravel available from other projects (covering parts of the driveway, for example.) This gravel is the second-smallest size that the quarry sells, I think it's 10 mm on average, maybe 16, I forget the exact number. It's not tiny pea gravel.

So, I believe my first steps are, dig the pit (4x6). Put in a layer of the gravel, maybe 2 inches deep? Then do I need to compact the gravel? Then the DPC goes on top of this, and the concrete is poured in? Do I need reinforcing bar or mesh atop the DPC before the concrete is poured?

Thanks for any pointers. Would definitely consider hiring a contractor to do this but haven't found one yet out here (Dingle peninsula) who I could afford. Am a bit worried about my ability to do this work but the neighbor's very encouraging, and hey, I've got a shovel, a wheelbarrow, a pick and a lot of gravel laying around...