Menai is named after Menai Bridge, a town on the Menai Strait in Wales. The area now known as Menai was originally called Bangor in 1895 by the land's owner, a farmer named Owen Jones, after his birthplace Bangor in Wales. To avoid confusion with Bangor in Tasmania, the Postmaster General's Office changed the suburb name to Menai in 1910. Menai Bridge in Wales lies opposite Bangor on the Menai Strait. When Menai expanded, the eastern section became Bangor again. The suburb has been affected by bushfires on several occasions, including the 1994 Eastern seaboard fires and 2017–18 Australian bushfire season.
Population
According to the 2016 census of Population, there were 10,304 people in Menai.
77.4% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 2.6%, China 1.3%, South Africa 1.2% and New Zealand 1.1%.
80.3% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Greek 2.1%, Arabic 1.8%, Mandarin 1.5%, Macedonian 1.5% and Cantonese 1.2%.
The most common responses for religion were Catholic 32.1%, Anglican 19.1%, No Religion 19.0% and Eastern Orthodox 6.1%.
Commercial area
Menai contains three bustling shopping centre around Menai Road with many retail stores and fine restaurants: Menai Marketplace, Menai Metro and Menai Central.
Menai Metro consists of professional suites and restaurants and is located in Allison Crescent, Menai. Menai Metro comprises the dining out, restaurant, precinct in the area.
Menai Central is located in Carter Rd, Menai and comprises larger bulky goods stores including supermarkets, liquor, pets, and homewares.
Many people use drive-park-ride mode of transport to work. There are three well serviced train stations with parking facilities within 8–15 minutes driving.
Housing
Menai is a newer suburb, having been developed only since the early 1980s, and as such, nearly all the homes are new 4-bedders with dual bathrooms and double-garages and mostly owner occupied. In fact, the region has one of the highest rates of home ownership in Australia, at over 81%.
Sport and recreation
Menai Hawks Football club is the largest sporting club in the area with 1,200 members playing soccer every week based at Buckle Reserve Menai. An indoor sporting complex is adjacent to the Menai Marketplace shopping centre. Menai is home to the Menai Junior Rugby League Football Club who are known by the rhyming couplet "Menai, head high", in a reference to their tough playing style by other rugby league juniors throughout the Sutherland Shire. Menai is also home to the Menai Dragons basketball association. The local council operates the . A small commercial swimming pool operates from Old Illawarra Road at Menai.
Schools
Menai's schools include Menai Primary , Aquinas College and Holy Family Primary School . Menai High School is not in Menai, but just outside in Illawong.
Churches
Holy Family Catholic Church, which services the 2234 postcode area, has an affiliated Catholic infants, primary and high school. There are also several other "Menai" Churches serving the 2234 area, within Menai and in surrounding suburbs. They include Menai Anglican Church, Menai Baptist Church, Menai Salvation Army Church, Urban Life Church, Hope Community Church, Christian Reformed Church, and Menai Illawong Uniting Church. There was once also a Menai Congregational Church Opposite the original Menai Public School
Emergency Services
The Metropolitan Fire Brigade is located on Menai Road, near the intersection of Old Illawarra Road. The State Emergency Service is located near the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, taking over from the previous occupant, the Rural Fire Service who now operate from a combined RFS centre at Illawong. The Ambulance station is across the road, from the fire brigade and SES.
