About 30 years ago, the tea chest was uncovered during renovations and the books – including the overdue one – were given to Simmons for safekeeping.

But it wasn’t until about a fortnight ago that he went through some of the books in greater detail.

“I looked inside the front cover and, lo and behold, on the second page there was a Kiama Library stamp,” Simmons said, with the library’s borrowing conditions also detailed on the inside cover.

For instance, library members could only borrow one book at a time, unless it could be proved that six people in the same household could read, in which case, three books could be lent out.

Anyone intoxicated was barred from borrowing and members returning books past their due date would be fined three pence for every week it was late.

Kiama Library staff worked out that the fine would be £97 – or in today’s currency AU$28,000 ($20,000; £15,000), allowing for inflation. But luckily for the Simmons family, the fine has been waived.

Kiama Council libraries manager Michelle Hudson said the unusual find had attracted a lot of attention.