Menai, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Menai Sydney, New South Wales
Menai community buildings
Population	10,304 (2016 census)
Established	1973
Postcode(s)	2234
Elevation	116 m (381 ft)
Location	28 km (17 mi) south of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Sutherland Shire
State electorate(s)	Holsworthy Miranda
Federal Division(s)	Hughes
Suburbs around Menai: Holsworthy Alfords Point Illawong Holsworthy Menai Bangor Lucas Heights Barden Ridge Barden Ridge

Menai is a friendly suburb located in southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's about 29 kilometres south of the main city area, within the Sutherland Shire.

A Look Back: Menai's History

Menai got its name from Menai Bridge, a town in Wales.

The area was first called Bangor in 1895. This name was chosen by Owen Jones, a farmer who owned the land. He named it after his hometown, Bangor in Wales. To avoid confusion with another Bangor in Tasmania, the name was changed to Menai in 1910. Menai Bridge in Wales is right across from Bangor. Later, as Menai grew, its eastern part became known as Bangor again.

Menai has faced bushfires several times. This includes big fires in 1994 and during the 2017–18 summer.

Who Lives in Menai?

In 2016, a census counted 10,304 people living in Menai.

• About 1.5% of the people were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
• Most people (77.4%) were born in Australia.
• Other countries where people were born include England (2.6%), China (1.3%), South Africa (1.2%), and New Zealand (1.1%).
• English was the main language spoken at home by 80.3% of people.
• Other languages spoken included Greek (2.1%), Arabic (1.8%), and Mandarin (1.5%).
• The most common religions were Catholic (32.1%) and Anglican (19.1%). About 19.0% of people said they had no religion.

Homes in Menai

Menai is a fairly new suburb. Most of its homes were built since the early 1980s. Many houses have four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a double garage. Most people living here own their homes. In fact, over 81% of homes in Menai are owned by the people who live in them. This is one of the highest rates in Australia.

Learning in Menai: Schools

Menai has several schools for students of different ages:

• Menai Primary School teaches students from Kindergarten to Year 6.
• Holy Family Primary School is a Catholic school for K-6 students.
• Aquinas College is a Catholic high school for students in Years 7-12.
• Menai High School is for Years 7-12. It's very close to Menai, but actually located in the nearby suburb of Illawong.

Fun and Games: Sports in Menai

The Menai Hawks FC is the local football (soccer) club. They play in the Sutherland Shire Football Association.

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  Menai Community Centre

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  Menai Community Buildings