A library book from Kiama is returned after being hidden behind a sealed fireplace for about 150 years. The book is discovered during a home renovation, lodged in the sealed fireplace area for decades and long after it was last recorded as borrowed. Once found, the book is brought back to the library, where staff treat it as a very long-overdue return. Because libraries often calculate hypothetical overdue charges based on the original lending terms and the time since the due date, a potential fine is estimated at around $28,000. Both reports describe the same circumstances: the book’s location behind the sealed fireplace, the approximate 150-year delay, and the existence of a calculated or implied overdue amount rather than an actual payment being collected. The return is framed as a novelty item for the library, while the incident highlights how older property changes can leave items hidden for generations before renovations reveal them. The book’s reappearance concludes the long period of absence from the library collection.