Final edition for newspaper doyenne Tansy Moss
Often the machine minders had to pull her from secret hiding places before they could start the printing process.
Tansy Moss, the former owner of the South Coast Herald and the South Coast Fever, died peacefully at home in Shelly Beach on July 26, at the age of 84.
The saying ‘printers’ ink runs naturally in her veins’ could have been written with her in mind and for her 21st birthday, Tansy was given a printing works by her father.
She was born on April 8, 1937 in Umtata, where her parents William (Mac) and Dorothy (Dot) Hutcheson owned the Territorial News, which was later bought by the Argus Company.
Her paternal grandfather was also a printing pioneer.
As a baby, Tansy, slept in an envelope box in her father’s newspaper office and she and her brother William (Jimmy) spent their childhood playing under the huge Wharfdale printing machine.
Often the machine minders had to pull her from secret hiding places before they could start the printing process.
After she completed her schooling at Epworth in Pietermaritzburg, Tansy headed off to London where she trained as a florist at the prestigious Constance Spry Flower School.
She also completed a business management diploma course and served as a trainee photographer with Norman Partington in Durban.
But the ‘ink’ in her veins called her back to the newspaper in Umtata.
It was a good call because that is where she met the love of her life, Billy.
The couple married on December 20, 1958 and Billy began his compositor apprenticeship under the guidance of his brother-in-law, Jimmy, who had also received a press for his 21st birthday.
After the family sold their interests in Umtata to the Argus Company they bought the South Coast Herald and relocated to St Michael’s-on-Sea.
Sadly, Jimmy, was killed in a motor car accident a few weeks after his wedding.
When Mac, Billy and Tansy took over the Herald it was an eight-page advertising brochure with bits of news between the advertisements.
Within a decade it was twice awarded the Hultzer Trophy for the best provincial newspaper in the country.
Tansy was the editor, accountant, company secretary and director as well a mom to three daughters, Meg, Kirsty and Terry-Sue.
Tansy was a trailblazer in the male dominated printing industry.
In 1974 she was the first woman in 72 years to be elected vice-president of the Natal Chamber of Printing.
She was completely au fait with all the technicalities of publishing a newspaper as well as jobbing printing.
Billy and Tansy were community stalwarts and active members of service clubs such as Round Table, 41-ers and Rotary.
Tansy was the first woman to be inducted by the Rotary Club of Port Shepstone and the club later bestowed the Paul Harris Fellowship Award on her.
In November 1983 the family sold the Herald to the Caxton Group of community newspapers and bought Palm Kloof in Shelly Beach.
Tansy wanted her family to be together and each daughter was given a house on the estate.
Her 14 grandchildren enjoyed an idyllic childhood growing up with their cousins on the rambling property.
Billy and Tansy also ran Old MacDonald’s Petting Farm on the estate for a number of years.
Once again the call of the ink drew Tansy back to publishing and in September 1997 she launched the South Coast Fever.
By this time that ‘ink’ was in daughters, Meg and Kirsty’s blood too and the family was back in the newspaper business.
The Fever was later incorporated into the Media 24 stable.
Her beloved Billy died on January 5, 2014 and having all her family around was a great comfort to her as she loved being part of her daughters, grandchildren and more recently, her five great-children’s lives.
Tansy, was a trailblazer and a tycoon – both of which she held in perfect balance.
She was way ahead of her time but she paved the way for other woman to succeed in the tough printing and publishing industry.
She made community news important by telling ordinary people’s stories in an extra ordinary way.
The South Coast has lost one of its formidable characters. Be at peace Tansy.
(Written by Colleen Haggard, former group editor of the South Coast Herald)
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