Book Returned to Australian Library After 150 Years

A book has been returned to a public library in Kiama, Australia, approximately 150 years after it was borrowed. The volume, titled Antiquities of Athens and published in 1858, was discovered by a man during home renovations inside a tea crate that had been bricked into a sealed fireplace.

Library manager Michelle Hudson stated that the library has never received an item this old. While some libraries occasionally recover books from estates that are 30 or 40 years overdue, this instance is unique. The book was marked as number 506 in the original collection of about 1,000 books and likely went missing shortly after the library opened in 1872.

The calculated fine for the late return would be approximately A$28,000 when adjusted for inflation. This figure is based on a fee of three pence per week printed on the inside cover along with rules from the library's opening year. However, Hudson noted that there is no way to identify the original borrower because the library journal from the 1870s has been lost.

Historical rules required borrowers to return books and pay any overdue debts before they could borrow again. Additionally, households needed at least six members known to be able to read to borrow up to three books. Hudson suggested that these strict requirements might explain why the book was never returned.

The book suffered some water damage during its time under the chimney. It will now be kept in the library's local history collection for display and will not be available for loan again.