He was a Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1959 to 1965, representing the electorate of Hurstville.
He worked as a clerk in the stores branch of the Railways Department prior to entering state politics.
He served as a private in the Second Australian Imperial Force during World War II from 1943 to 1945, returning to his prior role as a clerk thereafter.
[4] Rigby remained involved in public life after his parliamentary defeat, serving as president of the Miscellaneous Workers' Union from 1966 to 1973.
He also served for a time as a special adviser to Senator Doug McClelland, and was involved in a number of Aboriginal social welfare groups.