Omar Khayym. These objects display Beames' attention to detail and fine engineering skills and are regarded as an important part of the moveable heritage associated with the observatory. Ken Beames was very generous with his time for amateur telescope makers, and would advise them and give them materials to assist in their projects. For example, during a documented visit to Port Macquarie Observatory, Mr Beames constructed and donated to the observatory a set of apparatus for testing Foucault mirrors. Many telescope makers were given glass blanks and grinding powders with which to start their own telescopes. Ken Beams' manufacturing business 1986 and he died in 1989. The use of the site as an amateur observatory for the community continues until today. Description The observatory site is located on a lot of land sized approx. in the Blue Mountains. The listing curtilage encompasses part of this 20 ha and includes the main elements of the Observatory which consist of: The Observatory building housing the 24 inch (610 mm) reflecting telescope and an adjoining room; A sliding roof observatory housing a 30-inch (762 mm) telescope; A machine shop which also houses the planetarium instrument; A sheet metal workshop now used as a meeting room and telescope storage, with adjoining optical room; A storeroom; A constant temperature building; Observing fields with concrete pads for telescopes to be mounted; K. Beames' former residence. All buildings, except the sliding roof dome, are from the Beames' era, and house various parts of the historical collection. The telescope is a 24-inch (610 mm) diameter reflecting scope with a Nasmyth optical arrangement comprising "an unperforated parabolic glass primary , a 152 mm plano convex secondary and an optical flat which directs the light to an eyepiece assembly on the side of the telescope tube." ( Orchiston 1989 ). The base of the 2.74 metre telescope tube is fashioned from a solid aluminium sheet while the upper extension is constructed in a "cross braced lattice design" ( Orchiston, 1989 ). The telescope utilises an equatorial mount the movement of which is achieved using a number of electric drives. "The main drive wheel contains 720 teeth and is operated by an electric motor, which is accurately timed by a seconds pendulum. A second wheel is used for fast slewing and also has a fine adjustment, while the third wheel is used for positioning the telescope in right ascension according to