Joyce Honeybone grew up in Waikari and went on to attend Chch Girls High, Chch Teachers College and University of Canterbury. In addition to her university studies, Joyce performed under direction of Ngaio Marsh, took private philosophy lessons from Dr Karl Popper, danced in University Reviews, and attained University Blues in hockey and athletics. During World War 2, Joyce taught at Culverden school, later marrying Bob Manning and settling on a farm near Hawarden. She was involved in (or initiated) various community and women-oriented groups and organisations. In the mid 60s, they moved to Springbank, but a year later, Bob died in a tractor accident. Joyce, with her usual determination, became a successful farmer in her own right. Joyce later married Ben McIver. Throughout the 1970s and 80s she was also involved in organisations such as Nurse Maud, Canterbury Rehabilitation Hostels, Aged Peoples Walfare, Chch Hospital Chaplaincy, Senior Citizens Group, Good Samaritans, Household Budgeting Advisory, Arthritis Society and more. She held local, national and international office with Soroptomist International, and was on the national executive of the National Council of Women of NZ. She was appointed a Justice of the Peace, becoming President of the Canterbury JP Council. This comunity involvement inevitably lead to local government, and Joyce was elected to the North Canterbury Hospital Board, and later the Waimakariri District Council. In the 2000 New Years honours list, Joyce Little McIver was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Much of the above came from the book "Waimakariri Women", c1993, The Waimakariri District Womens Suffrage Centennial Committee.
Horsley Down cemetery, Hawarden.