VALE: CPOETW Ralph Hannaford R104807

Ray Lawrence · **Posted:** Sat Sep 13, 2025 8:21 pm

From the facebook group 002: R.A.N. CROSSED THE BAR

CPOETW Ralph Hannaford R104807 passed away on Saturday 12/07/2025 at the age of 74. He was from the 25th intake of HMAS Nirimba apprentices joining on 01 July 1968.

RIP Ralph, you were the best

BC · **Posted:** Sun Sep 14, 2025 10:15 am

Ralph has also been listed in the Last Post section of the latest NSW RSL Reveille magazine.

I never served with Ralph, except for Nirimba. My condolences to his family and friends, another MOBI gone too soon.

RIP Ralph, fair winds and following seas.

tafmo · **Posted:** Tue Sep 16, 2025 11:26 pm

Very sad to see another MOBI taken too early, particularly one from my term at Nirimba. :tear:

I didn't have that much to do with Ralph at Nirimba. He was a nice guy, very quiet with strong religious beliefs and rarely got out on the piss with the boys, ie more sensible than the rest of us... :shock:

Had very little contact with him after Nirimba, other than through the MOBI Yacht ‘Nirimba’ where he was a strakeholder and helped Rick Pengilly with some administration stuff.

Wishing you fair winds and smooth seas Ralph... :angel5:

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Thu Sep 25, 2025 1:11 am

So sad to learn of Ralph’s passing, he had quite an impact on those of us intimately involved in the acquisition of The MOBI Yacht ‘Nirimba’ way back in 2005, both as a substantial strakeholder, then as the Secretary/ Treasurer of our MOBI Yacht ‘Nirimba’ Association, which managed the financial affairs and our legal/ regulatory obligations regarding the yacht during its time at RANSA.

I always valued Ralph’s wise council in all things financial, legal and regulatory, overlapping into management of the association and the yacht.

............

..................L-R: Dave Warren, Ralph Hannaford, Brian Staples and Rick Pengilly

Ralph also owned/ ran Drawquick Printing which published several paperbacks of interest to many people from Naval backgrounds, including the many works of Naval Shipwright LEUT Vince Fazio on earlier warships of the RAN, and of course, the definitive book on HMAS Nirimba – RANATE, “Skilled Hands at Sea”.

Ralph and his schoolteacher wife Janet lived at Marayong when he and I were associated with the yacht, I recall she was an avid collector of Wedgewood pottery/ figurines, and after the kids vacated the nest, they travelled overseas together regularly.

Whilst I did know that Ralph was a dedicated Freemason, I had no idea as to the level of his commitment to the Masons until I received this amazing overview of Ralph’s Masonic achievements which was compiled and generously supplied to me by former 15th Intake MOBI, Derek Robson, better known to his fellow Freemasons as:

................Most Worshipful Brother Derek J Robson AM CMH PGM
................Past Grand Master 2011-2015, 2018-2021.
................United Grand Lodge of NSW and the ACT

............

Ralph Thomas Hannaford
DOB 20 Apr 51
Occupation - Chief Petty Officer

Ralph joined Freemasonry in 1982. He was initiated into Lodge Windsor No 770, on 09 February 1982. He was subsequently Passed to the Second Degree on 09 March1982 and raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason on 11 May 1982. He served this Lodge as Junior Warden in 1985/86, Senior Warden in 1986/87, and was installed as Worshipful Master for the masonic year 1987/88.

Ralph was also a member of Lodge Millennium No 2000 from 1999/2005, Lodge Alpha from 2005/2010, Lodge Ionic No 65 from 2010/2015, where he served as their Worshipful Master from 2011/2012, Macarthur Daylight Lodge No 1009 from 2015/2019, and Lodge Honour No 1054 from 2019/2020. Significantly, Ralph held office almost continuously through his membership of these Lodges. He called off from the Craft on 10 October 2020.

A Master Mason receives ‘the substituted secrets’ in the third or Master Mason’s degree and is told that time and circumstance will determine when the true secrets will be restored. The Mark and Royal Arch degrees complete the series of Pure Ancient Masonry, and by completing these degrees in The Royal Arch, the secrets are indeed restored to him when the Master Mason is exalted to The Holy Royal Arch.

Ralph was advanced as a Mark Master Mason in Hawkesbury District Chapter No 93 on 05 October 1983 and exalted to the Holy Royal Arch in the same Chapter on 01 February 1984.

Ralph was installed as 1st Principal in Hawkesbury District Chapter No 93 on 07 May 1988 and was reinstalled in both 1989 and 1996.

Excellent Companion Ralph Hannaford also served as 1st Principal of The City of Sydney Chapter of Research and Instruction in 2002 and 2003, and Macquarie Royal Arch Chapter in 2006, having joined this Chapter as a Foundation Member in year 2000. Ralph was a member of several other Chapters over the years and held office in all of them. He called off from The Royal Arch Chapter on 30 June 2021.

Ralph was also a member of The Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite, under the Supreme Council for Scotland.

He was Perfected in the 18th Degree on 28 June 1985 in the Hawkesbury Sovereign Chapter No 180, where he later served as the Most Wise Sovereign in 1993.

He was received into the 30th degree at the Nepean Sovereign Council No 57 on 14 December 1990, and he served as the Grand Commander in 2003. He was subsequently promoted to the 31st degree as a Grand Inspector Inquisitor Commander on 24 March 2004.

Ralph later affiliated with the Brisbane Water Sovereign Council No 21 on 08 January 2011.

Illustrious Brother Ralph Thomas Hannaford 31° resigned from the Nepean Sovereign Council No 57 in November 2014, the Hawkesbury Sovereign Chapter No 180 in July 2025, and the Brisbane Water Sovereign Chapter No 21 in July 2020.

Ralph Thomas Hannaford was a very involved and competent Freemason, a committed member and mentor, and a friend. He will be sincerely missed.

:salute1:

VALE Ralph, you were a true gentleman, friend and will be sadly missed. May you rest in peace… [-o<

VALE: CPOETW Ralph Hannaford R104807

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