The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds several valuable
and unique collections and works including old maps; documents; political
memorabilia; African artifacts and death masks; South African and Fijian
numismatic items; old and rare books; one-of-a-kind dolls (works of art)
as well as valuable and cutting-edge Internet sites that forged the on-line
roads that we now travel on-line.
Image right: Extremely rare document signed by Queen Victoria in 1878 (full document at this link) appointing Lieutenant Gardiner as Officer in charge of Land Forces in the Balson Holdings Family Trust Collection
Scott Balson has developed these unique collections over a lifetime basing his selection on top quality and historical significance rather than price. This standard, when linked with his dogged determination to acquire elusive and valuable pieces is the foundation to these unique and valuable collections.
A true innovator, Scott pioneered computer based marketing in Australia long before the Internet became a commercial commodity. In the last few years Scott has written seven books and published others through his publishing company author.com.au. He owns several Internet companies including i1.com.au (his Internet Service Provider business); Global Web Builders (his web building business), EmailStaff.Com (his Internet marketing arm) and OfficeCCTV.com (his high tech security business). His daily on-line newspaper that he edited from 1995 to 2000 was the first of its kind in Australia and is now stored in the National Library of Australia's on-line collection as a historically significant work.
Scott's concern about globalisation
and the impact that it is having on disadvantaged communities has led him
to establish a unique global
strategy of village homestay holidays for tourists that started with
Fiji Holidays. The success he
has had in his first venture in this area,
offering village homestays for holidays
in Fiji, has drawn interest from UNESCO and several countries wanting
to assist their impoverished communities. In 2004 author.com.au
produced its first music
CD featuring the music of the villages participating in
FijiBure.com. The humanitarian venture was recognised by Australia's
top travel program
"Getaway"
in February 2005 when it was given seven minutes unbroken coverage to
an audience of over two million people.
Scott visited South Africa in September 2006 to present copies of his latest book "Children of the Mist, the lost tribe of South Africa" (about the Griqua people) to museums and key historians - his itinerary in South Africa and an overview of the book can be seen at this link.
Scott has always had an issue with the lack of integrity in reporting by the mainstream media in Australia and has written many books on the subject including the best seller (1999) Murder by Media. In 2008 Scott started a television show "Real People" for Brisbane's community channel Briz31.
The Balson Holdings Family Trust Collections include:
The world's finest
collection of pre-Union South African currency, including
rare and unique Griqua coins,
bank notes and related,
letters, documents, maps
and collectable books (from 1558 to 1932) as well as Scott
Balson's own research on South Africa's first circulating coinage - the
trade tokens of Strachan
and Company.
This collection also includes many unique war-time siege items and pieces
from German East
Africa (including the
Tabora
Pound),
and the time of Paul Kruger's
coinage (1892 - 1902) - including the famous, valuable and extremely
rare Veld Pond
the fine beard
Burgerspond,
unique South African trade
tokens and the famous
Mafeking siege bank
notes.
A valuable and unique collection of Fijian bank notes (1871 to date) and complete set of pre-decimal Fijian coinage
The largest collection of political memorabilia representing Pauline Hanson's One Nation (1996 to 2000) - some items in this unique collection can be viewed at this link.
Australia's first on-line daily newspaper (1996 - 2000) - now stored at the National Library of Australia (this paper, the Australian National News of the Day or @notd, preceded ABC, News Limited, Fairfax and Channel 9 by many years and set the interactive standard used by these organisations today).
Valuable one-of-a-kind dolls (works of art)
Old maps including the extremely rare map of Africa by William Berry dd 1680 and maps dating back to the 1500s.
Old and rare Africana books dating back to 1673 and including a copy signed by the famous African explorer, Dr Livingstone.
Unique and historic items like Valuable African artifacts and genuine witch doctor death masks (c1920) a genuine Griqua Powder Horn (c1800) and an ancestral pipe made of human bone originating from the Congo (c1850).
Other memorabilia like Don Bradman signed bats and photographs (452 not out)
The cutting edge Internet web sites owned by the Balson Holdings Family Trust include (oldest listed first):
Australia's first search engine, the Definitive Lifestyle Guide, established in 1995 which has been archived since 1996 providing a unique insight to how the once university dominated Internet in Australia has evolved.
Indy Carnival, Gold Coast (March 1995) - the first sporting event ever covered live on the Internet
Alex's Scribbles, Koala Trouble (1996-2005) - winner of the best web site in Australia (1996) and a cult site for young children in USA with over 5 million unique visits.
The Australian National News of the Day (Australia's first on-line daily newspaper 1995 - 2000)
Office CCTV using the Internet and digital technology for 24/7 security
Global Web Builders, Australia's first web building company (est 1995)
I1.com.au, web hosting company
EmailStaff.com Australia's first on-line marketing company (est 1997)
VideoEmails.com.au - independent affiliate of helloWorld
Author.com.au an Internet-based book publishing company seeking real freedom of speech
Global Village Homestays - a global project in its early stages of development
