Chairman of Eden Aboriginal Land Council, Monaroo Elder BJ Cruse said the news had come as a bit of a surprise, but certainly a welcomed gesture.

"It was surprise because Aboriginal people have asked for things for many years, but in the past there was little opportunity for a name change like that, requests or demands didn't go too far," Mr Cruse said.

"The timing is right in that Minister Kean had the respect and commitment to do something about it and was able to bring about the name change."

The Monaroo Elder sees the decision as a positive actioning of the Black Lives Matter movement and also a good opportunity for Aboriginal people to promote their cultural heritage, which he believes will be of benefit to the whole community into the future.

"It's not just me, there are Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people alike that have made demands for a name change, they have shared thoughts that a person should have honour and respect in order to have something like a national park named after them," Mr Cruse said.

"I would like to take the opportunity to make note of appreciation for people like Steven Holmes and John Blay and others who have pushed for this outcome."

Mr Cruse said he thinks the consultation process to choose a new name will be a somewhat difficult task, one reason being that Aboriginal people in different tribes and clan groups have multiple language groups and the meaning of words can vary.

"A chosen name should reflect some relevance to Aboriginal lifestyle, technology and lore, and acknowledge and allow worship of the creator," Mr Cruse said.

He highlighted that the philosophy as to why an Aboriginal person might name something is vastly different to general ideas behind non-Aboriginal naming.

"We don't name things to communicate grandeur or intrinsic values, we name things according more to purpose and relevance," Mr Cruse said.

"In traditional lore, when someone dies, whenever you mention their name you are calling them back, which can interfere or disrupt their travel to the creator.

"We don't want it to go on too long into the future, because we want to put an end to Boyd's reign.

"I think all Aboriginal people who have cultural sovereignty or a connection to Country and even people we regard in kinship who live amongst us should have an opportunity to have their say.

"Maybe it would be best if the Minister made the ultimate decision," Mr Cruse said.

In March of this year, there was some discussion about the privately-owned settlement of Boydtown also undergoing a name change, which Mr Cruse said is a separate issue.

"I think they're still going to change the name but it is not necessarily going to be given an Aboriginal name and I can respect they reserve the right to make that decision," he said.

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