Ross Simmons found 'Antiquities of Athens' in a tea chest built into a sealed fireplace during renovations at his home in Kiama, Australia; he believes his great-great-grandfather John borrowed it

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 public library in Australia has had a book returned an estimated 150 years late