The book published in 1858 was returned to the library in the seaside town of Kiama last week by a man who had found it during recent home renovations inside a tea crate bricked into a sealed fireplace.

A book on Greek antiquities has been returned to an Australian public library about 150 years late, with water damage from years bricked into a fireplace.

A book on Greek antiquities has been returned to an Australian public library about 150 years late, with water damage from years bricked into a fireplace