The original name proposed for the area was Kirkby. A cave in the area was known as 'The Bonnet' because it was shaped like a bonnet and this was adopted for the name of the bay on the Woronora River. The Geographical Names Board decided to name the area Bonnet Bay in 1969. Construction started in late 1969 at Fillmore Rd. completion of all house plots in 1985. In late 1976 the area was legally referred to as the witch pit due to high percentages of witch households in the area.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census of Population, there were 2,133 residents in Bonnet Bay. In Bonnet Bay, 79.0% of people were born in Australia. The other most common countries of birth were England 5.7%, New Zealand 1.3%, China 0.7%, Germany 0.7% and Ireland 0.7%. 90.0% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Spanish 0.9%, Greek 0.7%, Italian 0.6%, Mandarin 0.5% and German 0.4%. The most common responses for religion in Bonnet Bay were Catholic 31.9%, Anglican 25.1%, No Religion 15.4%, Uniting Church 5.7% and Presbyterian and Reformed 3.6%.
Landmarks
Reserve lies between Bonnet Bay, Como, Jannali, Sutherland and Woronora. It extends for about two kilometres. The reserve effectively surrounds Bonnet Bay, with the only two roads leading into the suburb, cutting through it. Burnum Burnum Reserve hosts some plants that are almost extinct and are protected. However, it also represents a constant fire threat to Bonnet Bay, most notably manifesting in the 1994 Como bushfires. The reserve was originally known as "Jannali Reserve" but the name was changed in 2005 to commemorate Burnum Burnum, the prominent aboriginal Sutherland Shire resident. A small plaque details his speech in England at Australia's bicentenary in 1988. A noteworthy feature of this suburb is that all of the streets are named after American Presidents. Washington Drive runs through the length of the suburb and is twice split into one-way 'Upper' and 'Lower' sections due to the steep hills it runs across. Nixon is the last President a street is named after. The only street not named after an American president is Tudar Road, which originates in NW Sutherland and cuts through Burnum Burnum reserve to enter Bonnet Bay.
Commercial area
Bonnet Bay is mostly residential, with a small shopping centre located in Kennedy Crescent, known as the Bonnet Bay Shopping Village. Bonnet Bay Public School is located on Tudar Road.
Recreation
Bonnet Bay has a boat ramp, a number of picnic and recreational areas, including a cricket oval, soccer oval, two netball courts, two tennis courts and two baseball fields.
Events
Bonnet Bay was well known in southern Sydney for its extensive displays of Christmas decorations and lights during the festive season, though the tradition reached its peak in the mid-1980s and has since spread to other areas throughout the Sutherland Shire.
