Our history

In 1980, Cancer Council Victoria launched the Slip! Slop! Slap! campaign. It featured a singing, dancing Sid Seagull encouraging people to reduce sun exposure. This successful program was funded by public donations.

Images of Sid Seagull

By 1988, SunSmart, a broader, multi-faceted skin cancer control program, had been introduced with support from the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) and Cancer Council Victoria.

Today the sun protection message has expanded to Slip! Slop! Slap! Seek! Slide! We seek to influence individual sun protection behaviours, those with responsibilities for protecting others and broader environmental change. SunSmart has also taken a leadership role by promoting a balance between the risks of skin cancer from too much sun exposure and maintaining adequate vitamin D levels.

Sid Seagull today          

UV Alert

For: Melbourne, 13 Mar

Sun Protection required: 10:20 am to 4:40 pm

Alert: 7

Other locations around Victoria

What is the UV Alert?

Also refer to:

Listen to the original Slip! Slop! Slap! song: It sounds like a breeze when you say it like that... [wmv 2.8M]

Slip on a Shirt Slop on Sunscreen Slap on a Hat Seek Shade Slide on some Sunglasses