Book returned to Australian library – 150 years overdue

A book titled "Antiquities of Athens," published in 1858, has been returned to the Kiama library in Australia, approximately 150 years overdue. A man discovered the book inside a tea crate bricked into a sealed fireplace during a home renovation. The library manager noted that the potential overdue fine, calculated on a 19th-century fee, would be around A$28,000. However, the original borrower cannot be identified as the library's record journal from the 1870s is lost. The book, part of the library's original collection, sustained some water damage and will be displayed in the local history section rather than being re-loaned.

A 150-year-overdue book, "Antiquities of Athens," published in 1858, has been returned to the Kiama Library in Australia. The book was discovered by a man during home renovations, bricked into a sealed fireplace inside a tea crate. The library manager, Michelle Hudson, stated that the estimated late fee, calculated on a three pence-a-week overdue charge from the 1870s, would be approximately $19,500. However, the library cannot trace the original borrower as the borrowing records from that era are lost. The book, which shows some water damage, was part of the library's original collection of about 1,000 books. It will now be displayed in the local history collection and will not be available for circulation again.