Miller Place was named in 1956 when the Beetham property of ‘Towsett’ was subdivided. It honours Sir J. Holmes Miller, deputy leader of the Antarctic expedition led by Edmund Hillary. A surveyor, he was working in private practice in Masterton at the time. On his return to New Zealand he shifted to Wellington to head the Antarctic Division of DSIR. He died in Los Angeles in 1986
The naming of Laurent Place has proven difficult to confirm, although it seems likely that it was named after H.J. Laurent, a V.C. winner from World War One who has other streets named after him in Hawkes Bay and Taranaki.
Ivondale Grove was developed by Paul Smart on land previously farmed by Masterton schoolteacher Ivan Dale. The land was left in trust for Ivan and his two brothers, Randall and Ralph, by their father, Masterton Borough Council foreman Henry Dale, and his wife Alice Buick.
Pic: Bob Miller was involved in Antarctic exploration.