A rare book titled "The Antiquities of Athens," published in 1858, was returned to Kiama Library in New South Wales about 150 years overdue [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. The book was discovered by local resident Ross Simmons in July 2026 during home renovations. It had been sealed inside a tea crate hidden in a bricked-up fireplace in the family home in Kiama [2, 4, 5, 6].

The library was founded in 1872 and this book was part of its early collection, catalogued as number 506 [2, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Ross's great-great-grandfather, John Simmons, an English immigrant and local alderman living in the house in the 1870s, is believed to have borrowed the book [2, 4, 5, 6].

Kiama Library calculated the overdue fine using the original 19th-century rules which charged 3 pence per week overdue. After adjusting for inflation, this fine totals approximately A$28,000 (around US$28,000 or NT$630,000-640,000) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Despite the fine, library manager Michelle Hudson said, "We've never had anything that old come back to us" and joked, "Maybe that's why they never returned it to us" [2].

The book itself contains 70 black-and-white illustrations and foldout charts. It also reflects 19th-century library borrowing rules, including bans on drunken borrowers and fines for misconduct [1, 3, 7]. Michelle Hudson said the library will not allow it to circulate again, noting, "We don't want to wait another 150 years for this book to be returned" [2]. The rare book will be preserved in acid-free archival boxes and placed in a special local studies collection [1, 2, 3, 7].

Ross Simmons, who found the book, is not liable for the fine. He lightheartedly said, "I've spent a lifetime dealing with irate customers and being irate with customers himself. Just stick to your guns and say do your worst" regarding the overdue charge [2, 4, 5, 6].

The library plans to display the book with recognition to the local family that returned it. Michelle Hudson said it will be "a treasured cultural artifact shared with the whole community" [7]. The formal return occurred in August 2026, marking the end of more than a century of absence for the volume [1, 2, 3, 7].