Angus Crichton: South Sydney Rabbitoh’s journey from the Big Smoke to Arnhem Land

ANGUS Crichton, a rising NRL star making plenty of noise on the field, is quietly but passionately working to bring Indigenous culture to mainstream Australia.

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While his NRL mates escape to party hot spots around the world in the off-season, Angus Crichton can be found in remote East Arnhem Land bringing communities together.

As a boarder at Scots College in Sydney, the Rabbitohs young gun forged a strong bond with a pair of indigenous teens on scholarship. Just a few years later, Crichton is now working to raise money to help improve access to education resources in the far-off region.

Delwyn and Leon Wunungmurra, who spoke minimal English, made the long journey from the tip of the Northern Territory down to Sydney to further their learning. Crichton, a few years older, and the Wunungmurra cousins from the Gapuwiyak community developed a friendship well beyond the Scots College classroom.

Angus Crichton doing the hard yards against Penrith. Picture: Brett Costello

And in ‘a whole other world’. Supplied: Angus Crichton

The highly rated South Sydney second-rower has taken on a role as mentor for the boys, who both graduated from high school.

Crichton’s trip to Arnhem Land this past off-season was his second experience of life there after a visit a year earlier.

“It’s extremely remote,” he told The Daily Telegraph. “It’s in the middle of nowhere and is pretty hard to get to. It’s like a whole other world up there.

“I fly to Darwin, then it’s either a 24-hour drive from Darwin to the community or it’s a one-and-a-half-hour flight on this tiny plane that costs $570 each way.”

The Rabbitoh was making his second trip to Arnhem Land. Supplied: Angus Crichton

Even this country boy found the area remote. Supplied: Angus Crichton

Crichton, who grew up in Young, country NSW, may not be indigenous himself, but he feels a strong tie to the remote community and is in the process of starting a charity to help boost education funding in the region.

“A lot of the kids and living standards are a bit below par,” he said.

“I’ve got nothing against helping people overseas, but we’ve got a whole lot of work to do in our own country.”

Crichton says not enough Australians really know enough about our Indigenous culture.

“It’s one of my projects to kind of educate a lot of not only white Australians but all Australians about our indigenous culture, which is essentially Australian history.

Indigenous culture is vitally important to the young star. Supplied: Angus Crichton

Having fun. Supplied: Angus Crichton

Embracing our future. Supplied: Angus Crichton

“I think there’s 95 per cent of Australians who don’t know where Arnhem Land is.”

In a column he wrote for PlayersVoice, Crichton speaks of his desire to help kids in the region. Many in the community don’t even have the luxury of sleeping on a mattress — something Crichton experienced first hand on his visits.

He recalls the sister of one of the boys he mentors offering him her mattress while she would sleep on a rug. The offer was made with respect and gratitude for the help Crichton has given the boys over many years. The proper and only response was to accept it.

Crichton, who studied film at school, is determined to bring the people of Arnhem Land closer to everyday Australians and is planning to make a short film about the area and its customs.