Cyrus Saul Moss was born on February 24, 1872, during the first year of the Municipality of Nowra, when his father was Mayor. He was the fifth child and youngest son of Henry Moss and his wife, Sarah.
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As a young man of 21, Cy gained a position with Nowra solicitor, Thomas Marriott and at that time worked for him as a clerk for almost 14 years. He was also involved in many public activities, and in the 1890s was secretary of both the football club and cricket association.
Earning a reputation for being efficient and progressive, his services were keenly sought, as evidenced by an article published in the Shoalhaven Telegraph in 1894:
"As secretary of the Shoalhaven Football Club, or for that matter as the secretary of anything else, there is probably no man of Mr Moss' age so widely popular here," the article said.
"Mr Moss has been secretary of many things, and in no single case has he failed to win the esteem and admiration of those who have been associated with him.
"His efforts on behalf of the School of Arts have been untiring, and the committee have time out of number refused to accept his resignation."
Towards the end of 1907, he made a decision to seek formal qualifications as a solicitor, and accepted a position with an older brother, Hyam, in Sydney. Prior to leaving the district, he was tended two farewells, the first by community representatives at the Kia Cafe in Kinghorne Street, and the second in the School of Arts, when he was presented with an inscribed gold watch by the Mayor Alderman Christopher Graham.
The Law Society has no record of him ever becoming a solicitor, and Cy Moss was back in Nowra by 1920, rejoining the firm of Marriott and Oliver. In January of that year he was elected to Nowra Municipal Council, and became the only Moss son to follow in his father's footsteps in local government. He served only briefly at that time, but had another term as an alderman from 1922 to 1925.
When he was 48 years of age, Cyrus Moss married Margaret Neridah Graham, the ceremony being conducted at his Moss Street home. Margaret, then 36, was the daughter of James Graham, of Greenhills.
Cy continued his involvement in various local organisations, and he held the position of secretary of the Shoalhaven Soldiers' Memorial Committee set up following World War I. Fundraising was conducted for a Nowra hospital, but eventually this money was used to build the memorial gates at the showground.
Another keen interest was photography, and his work was so highly regarded, some of his photographs were used in the district's first local history publication produced by Woodhills in 1905, while others were reproduced on postcards. His photography showed a willingness to experiment as he sought special effects, and he was equally at home photographing people and landscapes.
Two albums he put together are held in the Nowra Museum, and they formed the basis of the "Reflections on the Past" exhibition held some years ago.
His deceased estate file at the NSW Archives mentions his camera and also his x-ray machine which required the use of similar techniques.
Cyrus Moss died on October 25, 1931 at the age of 59 years, and despite his background, no will was located. Although he left no descendants, his name was given to Cyrus Street at Hyams Beach, the coastal township named after his grandfather, Michael Hyam.