Dering Lee Warner Stainbank was the son of Richard Henry Stainbank and his wife Mary, born Essex, and a brother of Henry Ellerton Stainbank*. He arrived at Durban on 2 July 1857. During his voyage to South Africa he began a diary in which he described the daily weather conditions. He settled in or near Durban and continued his diary for the next 50 years until 9 July 1907, a few days before his death, filling 42 volumes. The diary contains his non-instrumental weather observations during this entire period.
Stainbank occupied the farm Hope Valley [not identified] during 1884-1886. During 1890-1899 he owned the farm "Dering" (inland from Durban it seems), traded under the name Stainbank brothers, and ran a hotel on his farm. He also owned or rented several lots at St Faiths in southern Natal (some 35 km inland from Hibberdene). He was married to Mpatsha Joyisa, with whom he had a son. In 1960 his son (Frank) lived in Bellair, a suburb of Durban.
