High spatial resolution maps of the optical linear polarisation of a range of galaxies of different morphological types and inclinations are presented. Spiral, barred spiral and irregular galaxies with low inclinations show spiral patterns of polarisation orientation which may be interpreted to indicate that there are large-scale magnetic fields present in the discs of these galaxies. A survey of edge-on galaxies with conspicuous equatorial dust lanes shows remarkable differences in polarisation structure between early and late types. In the Sa galaxies the polarisation in the dust lane is sizeable and parallel to the dust lanes, suggesting that the magnetic field is uniformly distributed in the plane of the galaxy. This polarisation pattern disappears in the Sc galaxies suggesting that the relatively chaotic dust features do not possess a grain aligning mechanism, e.g. a magnetic field, that is uniform or coherent over large distance scales. It is clear that most galaxies do have polarisation patterns that are related to galactic structure and inclination, and further similar polarisation studies should help to unravel the relationship between the generation of polarisation and galactic magnetism.