---
title: "Book Bricked into a Fireplace: The Story of a 150-Year 'Escape' from the Library"
description: "In Australia, a book that hadn't been returned to the library for 150 years has been found! 📚 A rare 1858 edition was accidentally discovered in a bricked-up fireplace of an old house. If fines were still in effect, the debt would have been $28,000. Now, the book has become part of a museum collection. 🏛️"
date: 2026-08-02T13:45:41.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/book-bricked-into-a-fireplace-the-story-of-a-150-year-escape-from-the-library
tags: [kiama, australia, ross-simmons, john-simmons, antiquities-of-athens]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Book Bricked into a Fireplace: The Story of a 150-Year 'Escape' from the Library

![Vintage book 'Antiquities of Athens' with Kiama Public Library stamp, discovered embedded in a fireplace after 150 years of disappearance](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/02/kniga-zamurovannaya-v-kamine-istoriya-150-letnego-begstva-iz-biblioteki/kniga-zamurovannaya-v-kamine-istoriya-150-letnego-begstva-iz-biblioteki-1.webp)

An event in Australia can be described as a historical intrigue with a happy ending. The public library in the town of Kiama has recovered a book that went missing nearly a century and a half ago. The rare edition of "Antiquities of Athens," printed in 1858, was found in the most unexpected place — a tea chest bricked into a fireplace.

### An Accidental Discovery in an Old House

The discovery was the result of renovations on an old family home carried out by local resident Ross Simmons. During the work, he stumbled upon a hidden box containing the book. According to Simmons, it is most likely that his great-grandfather, John Simmons, once borrowed this volume from the library and never returned it, hiding it in the house instead.

### A Secret from the 1870s

The Kiama Library began its operations in 1872. The found edition bore the number 506 in the first collection, confirming its status as one of the oldest exhibits. Staff at the institution suspect that the book was never returned to the shelf during the library's first few years of existence. For 150 years, it remained a secret until it was discovered during restoration.

### A Fine of $28,000

The situation regarding the overdue book, if judged by old rules, could have resulted in a colossal fine. Calculations show that the debt would have amounted to approximately 28,000 Australian dollars. However, it is now impossible to identify the last reader formally responsible for the book, as archival records from the 1870s have not survived.

### A New Fate for the Rarity

The book has now returned to its rightful place. This unique copy will now become part of the Kiama Library's local history collection. Due to its high value and the story of its discovery, the edition will no longer be lent to readers for reading, becoming a permanent exhibit.