- An 1858 edition of Antiquities of Athens was returned to Kiama Library in Australia , approximately 150 years overdue.
- The book was discovered inside a tea crate, bricked into a disused fireplace, by a local man.
- Kiama Library manager Michelle Hudson said it is the oldest item ever returned to them, with the estimated late return fine calculated at AU$28,000 (£14,600) based on the British three pence-a-week fee that was printed on the book’s inside cover.
- According to Hudson, the final borrower cannot be traced, and the library's journal from the 1870s, which recorded loans, has been lost.
- The historical book, which has some water damage, will now be displayed in the library's local history collection and will not be lent out again.
IN FULL
Book returned to library after 150 years - with a £14,600 late fee
