Remote Lake Eyre in the arid heart of Australia now has dual names.

The Arabana people have convinced the Geographical Names Unit to recognise the ancient name of Kati Thanda.

The often-dry saltpan will now have the dual name Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre.

Arabana Aboriginal Corporation chair Aaron Stuart says the ancient name Kati Thanda has travelled with the generations.

"It's an easy word for all Australians to say, and I think it's a beautiful name," he said.

"Our elders may have passed away, but we remember them and the name they used for the lake.

"It was our ancestors who lived there when Edward John Eyre first saw the lake in 1840."

He says the recognition is a fantastic leap forward in Australia.

"Great acts done like this within states and territories for the Aboriginal people and for all Australians proves to the rest of the world us as a nation are really going forward," he said.

Name change 'a great moment'

The Arabana won native title over 70,000 square kilometres of South Australia's far north, including Lake Eyre, in May.

That is when Mr Stuart raised the prospect of recognising its Aboriginal name and the lake's significance in Arabana dreaming.

He explains how sprawling landmark fits into the Arabana dreaming.

"A great kangaroo hopped out of one of those caves that are sunken in the Nullarbor Plains and hopped towards where Lake Eyre is today," he said.

"On the journey, it experienced different flora and fauna and it tells the story of what happened to that kangaroo until it was actually hunted down by an Arabana man who tracked it … up towards Anna Creek and who later killed the animal and skun it and laid the skin out there which made the lake."

Mr Stuart says like with Uluru, the local Aboriginal people expect the name Lake Eyre will eventually fall out of common usage.

"It's a dual name, but like with Uluru, we're expecting the second name just to die out with time and obviously that will probably happen," he said.

"Obviously now, when maps are made and statements made about the particular country, it's all got to be changed, but I really think it's a great moment."

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 4 minutes 27 seconds 4 m 27 s Listen to the story Download 2 MB

Raising awareness for Indigenous heritage

Phil Turner runs the Marree Hotel, about 60 kilometres south-east of the lake.

He thinks most people will embrace the traditional name.

"I think we'll see that the die-hards will always refer to it as Lake Eyre, just as they do with Ayers Rock, but what I am seeing in the hotel is a new generation of people that are coming through and they refer to Ayers Rock as Uluru and "I think that's just an educational process that over time, the name will change as a natural progression - evolution, if you like," he said.

Bill Watt from the Geographical Names Unit says it is hoped the dual titles will boost awareness of the vast region's Aboriginal heritage.

"We're quite happy for people in general conversation to use either one of the two names or both together," he said.

"We do like to see in all official publications the name spelt out in full."

Mr Watt says official name changes will be introduced in the new year.

"There's plenty of maps that need to be amended - tourist maps and standard topographical maps - and it will take some time before the name is fully reflected in all of those situations, but the more people use it, the quicker people become familiar with it and it becomes part of the general state nomenclature," he said.

The Arabana people are now planning a celebration at the site.