A book found bricked in a fireplace is returned to an Australian library, 150 years overdue

An Australian library has received a book 150 years after it was first checked out. The volume, titled Antiquities of Athens and published in 1858, turned up in the coastal town of Kiama during recent home renovations. The current homeowner discovered the item inside a tea crate that was bricked into a sealed fireplace.

Library manager Michelle Hudson noted that this is the oldest item ever returned to their collection. The book was logged as item 506 during the library’s opening in 1872. Given the passage of time and the rules printed inside the cover, the late fee would equate to roughly 28,000 Australian dollars today. However, the library does not hold records of borrowers from that era, so the exact identity of the person who originally checked it out remains a mystery.

The owner, Ross Simmons, suspects the book was borrowed by his great-great-grandfather, who lived in the cottage at the time. Library staff explained that the book likely went missing within the first few years of the facility’s operation. During that period, residents had to pay off any existing debts before borrowing new items, which may explain why the book was never brought back to the circulation desk.

This incident highlights a unique piece of local history. While modern library rules differ significantly from the 1870s, the physical copy serves as a link to the past. The library plans to keep the book in its permanent local history collection rather than returning it to circulation. Staff confirmed they have no intention of waiting another century to see it again.