Indigenous rugby league great Matt Bowen has played touch footy with Aurukun school students and spoken about resolving violence in the troubled community.
The former North Queensland NRL and State of Origin star joined Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt in the Cape York community on Monday.
Bowen, who grew up in similar indigenous community Hope Vale, on the eastern side of the cape, played a game of touch footy with local year 6 students.
He spoke at an assembly, emphasising the importance of pursuing education.
"I can relate to the these kids, I'm from a real small community," he told ABC Radio.
"No matter what happens at home we need the kids to turn up to school every day."
A spate of violent incidents last month prompted the closure of Noel Pearson's Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy campus.
Some 20 school staff were evacuated on two separate occasions, with classes not expected to resume until the start of term three next month.
Last Wednesday, Bowen's former Cowboys teammate Johnathan Thurston gave a special mention to Aurukun after Queensland's win in the opening State of Origin match.
"There's obviously been a lot of trouble up there. To all the students up there, I just want to say `believe in yourselves and keep turning up to school'," he said.
Mr Pitt said he hoped Bowen's visit would further lift students' spirits.
"Matty has a special connection with Cape York and I know his visit will be an enormous morale booster," the treasurer said.
Mr Pitt said he would inspect newly installed CCTV cameras and visit the Aurukun Wellbeing Centre and PCYC.
"I want to hear from as many locals as possible about how we can work together to effect change."
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