Great public meeting in Hunt’s Creek, - Thursday was the day appointed for laying the first stone of the stupendous works about to be erected for supplying the town and district of Parramatta with pure water. On passing along Church Street and the Windsor Road, at the hour of 2 o’clock, throngs of carriages, horsemen and well dressed pedestrians lined the road on their way to the North Rocks; and descending into the creek, our attention was attracted by what may most appropriately be called an “arial railway”, namely, a scaffolding 33 feet above the surface of the creek on the top of which was placed what id rightly termed a traveller, on which was also placed another equally critically constituted piece of machinery, termed a ginney, the former running from north to south, and the latter from east to west; from the ginney was a treble tackle chain fall, for the purpose of lifting the immense blocks of stone, weighing some of them as much as eight tonnes; the arial erections were handsomely decorated with British and foreign flags, and the labourers were passing on the scaffolding with the greatest ease and composure. Crowds of schools and persons continued to assemble until about half-past three o’clock; we observed among the crowd numerous ladies, clergymen, members of Council, magistrates, the King’s school, as also ladies boarding schools; and one and all expressed their admiration for the machinery used for transporting the vast blocks of stone to their appointed places on the dam. At about a quarter to four o’clock, Mr Moriarty, the engineer, Mr Randall, the contractor, Mr James Pye, and the members of the water committee, a large number of the people’s committee, and a number of gentlemen from Sydney, proceeded to the centre of the works, and, the signal being given, the stone weighing between five and six tonnes, was raised with the greatest ease from the ground, by two men at work on the ginney. James Pye, Esq, the senior member of the water committee, was then called upon to lay the first stone, which he did amidst loud and continued cheering whilst the surrounding rocks re-echoed the sound; the King’s school boys were most vociferous in their cheering of Mr Randall, the contractor. Mine host of the Woolpack next summoned the party to a tent erected for the occasion where was a spread that would have done honour to any civic body. The champaign and wines were of first class, and after ample justice was done to the substantials, the following toasts were proposed and drunk with great enthusiasm: Mr Moriarty proposed the health of the ladies who had graced the ceremony with their presence, responded to by Mr Samuals of Bathurst; Mr Pye proposed the health of Mr Randall, which was responded to in a neat and graceful speech by that gentleman, Mr Randall proposed Mr Moriarty, which was well received; Mr Staff proposed the health of MR James Pye, and adverted at some length to the unmitigated exertions, unsparing expense, and determined perseverance of that gentleman to prosecute the work which must so much benefit the town and district of Parramatta; Mr Randall proposed the health of Mr Rowling, the secretary of the water commission. Numerous other toasts were drunk, and heartily responded to. The overseers and workmen were most liberally regaled, and Mr Pye provided about 300 dozen oranges for the juvenile part of the assembly. It is a most astounding fact, that during the lunch, from seven to ten stones averaging about six tonnes each, were laid in their places. A visit to Hunt’s Creek, at the North Rocks, will repay the trouble.