[1] Born in Worcester, England, on 20 January 1832, he arrived at Nelson in 1842 on the Thomas Harrison with his parents, Mary Ann and George Lightband.

Lightband Sr. travelled to Sydney, obtained a printing press and engaged the printer William Nation to come to Nelson with his family.

The candidates for election were Oswald Curtis, Lightband, James Crowe Richmond, and Joseph Shephard.

[16] In his election campaign he spoke support for the Vogel Scheme with the proviso that the money was spent wisely and for immigration provided it was to the betterment of the colony.

[17] The editorial of the Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle dismissed Lightband as but a tyro in politics, and that his opinions are crude and but half formed.

[25] On 8 January 1872 the Nelson Evening Mail published and article suggesting wooden tramways in the Upper Buller District.

Lightband then wrote to the Evening Mail supporting the construction of wooden tramways within the area.

He stated that in his opinion the proposed Nelson-Foxhill line would take a long time to construct and that his preference was for a more rapid opening up of the area, hence the wooden tramway.

On 19 March 1872 the Colonist editorial announced Lightband's intention to sail for England via San Francisco in April of the year.

[33] Lightband's letter of 16 April gave formal notice of his resignation and was published in Nelson Evening Mail.

[38] Citing a European Mail correspondent, Anglo Australian, it said that Lightband was dissatisfied with the Honolulu to San Francisco leg of his journey and hoped to find any novelties in England that might advance New Zealand industry.

The ship encountered rough weather during its passage, arriving in King George Sound on 14 November 1872.

[43] By mid-May 1873 he was again advocating opening of access to the Buller-Reefton area to enable the exploitation of its mineral reserves.

[44] Then in July 1873 he wrote to the Editor of the Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle supporting the establishment of a Municipality.

[45] In late July early August 1873 he had joined the outcry against proposed increased tariffs on goods, although he was in favour of using them to protect local industry.

[51] Lightband died peacefully in his sleep at his home "Wainui" on 1 August 1914,[b] after suffering a stroke several days earlier.